Israeli Analyst Criticizes Jared Kushner's Meeting with Hamas Leaders in Egypt

Zvi Yehezkel, an Israeli commentator on Arab affairs, sharply criticized Jared Kushner, former US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, for meeting with senior Hamas officials in Egypt. Yehezkel argued that the meeting itself was a victory for Hamas, granting the organization legitimacy and recognition. During the meeting, Hamas leaders expressed willingness to transfer civilian control of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian technocratic government once it is ready to operate. They also pledged not to interfere with the government's work and thanked the Trump administration and the "Peace Council" for their recent efforts to improve Gaza's humanitarian situation.

Kushner and his team also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and separately with members of the Palestinian technocratic government during their visit to Egypt. Yehezkel viewed the meeting with Hamas leaders as contrary to Israel's objectives since the outbreak of the conflict, which aimed to eliminate Hamas both militarily and politically. He described the meeting as "a finger in Israel's eye" and called on Israel to disregard the meeting's significance and continue fighting Hamas as both a military and political entity.

Following Yehezkel's remarks, Israeli presenter Miri Michaeli commented on the meeting, questioning whether Kushner would have been willing to meet with Adolf Hitler, highlighting the controversy surrounding the engagement with Hamas.