Kushner Arrives to Advance Gaza Peace Plan Amid Israeli-Palestinian Tensions

Ahead of Jared Kushner's visit to Israel next week, a senior official from the Gaza Peace Council emphasized the importance of agreeing on a desired outcome for the peace plan. Kushner will also travel to Egypt to meet with mediators involved in the agreement process. He will be accompanied by Nikolay Mladenov, the Council's director, and Tony Blair. The official stated that discussions in Israel will continue to promote the comprehensive 20-point peace plan proposed by the U.S. president, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejecting the Council's 15-point plan. Both the U.S. and Israel agree on the end goal of dismantling Hamas, focusing on accelerating progress toward this objective.

In Egypt, Kushner is expected to meet with local officials and other mediators to implement the next steps of the roadmap. The official highlighted the shared determination among all parties to achieve sustainable peace, prosperity, and security in a demilitarized Gaza, where Hamas relinquishes full authority to a Palestinian technocratic government, enabling reconstruction for Gaza's residents.

Kushner will meet Netanyahu in Israel, who recently dismissed the 15-point plan. The New York Times noted that Netanyahu's rejection appears aimed at appealing to his right-wing base ahead of October elections, while simultaneously ordering a halt to attacks in Gaza, seemingly to appease the Trump administration.

Amid shifts in Gaza policy and combatant testimonies, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the killing of two Hamas commanders. Yesterday, the IDF killed Hadifa Khawara, a battalion commander in Hamas's Khan Yunis brigade, who was involved in training militants, arms transfers, and rebuilding efforts. Earlier, the IDF reported killing Muhammad Mashta, another Hamas battalion commander who held numerous hostages and participated in the October 7 raid into Israel. The IDF stated its forces remain deployed in the south according to the ceasefire agreement and will continue to act against immediate threats.