Jared Kushner Presses Netanyahu to Implement Gaza Ceasefire Plan Amid Rising US Pressure

Jared Kushner, senior advisor and son-in-law to former US President Donald Trump, is arriving in Israel on Monday for a critical meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The visit follows Kushner's recent talks with senior Hamas officials in Egypt and is part of a broader regional diplomatic effort involving key figures such as UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Washington believes Netanyahu has already given his principled agreement to a ceasefire and reconstruction plan for Gaza and is now demanding Israel move to practical implementation.

The US administration expects progress on several fronts, including halting military attacks in Gaza, Israeli troop withdrawals to a designated "yellow line," significantly increasing humanitarian aid, and advancing the establishment of civilian governance and reconstruction mechanisms. Kushner's visit aims to finalize these steps rather than reopen negotiations, reflecting frustration in Washington over perceived Israeli delays and new reservations about the sequence of actions.

The ceasefire framework, developed with Israeli National Security Council involvement, includes 15 key points such as disarming Hamas, transferring civilian authority to a technocratic Palestinian body, phased Israeli withdrawals, and deployment of an international stabilization force. Israel insists on Hamas's complete disarmament before any pullback, publicly rejecting the current plan's format, while Hamas has accepted the framework under pressure during talks in Egypt.

Meanwhile, a coalition of Arab states including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, and Turkey condemned Israel's rejection of the US peace plan, blaming it for delaying peace efforts in Gaza and the Palestinian territories. Despite public Israeli skepticism, some peace council officials believe Israel is partially complying on the ground and attribute political rhetoric to internal considerations.

Kushner's Egyptian meetings marked his first with Hamas leaders since the October 2025 ceasefire, involving figures such as Hamas's Khalil al-Hayya, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari minister Ali al-Thawadi, and a senior Turkish official. The US push centers on translating agreed commitments into verifiable, concrete actions to end the Gaza conflict and initiate reconstruction.