Netanyahu Firmly Opposes Gaza Withdrawal During Meeting with Kushner

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met for about four hours on Monday with Jared Kushner, the US President's envoy, and Nikolay Mladenov, head of the UN's Gaza peace council. Following the lengthy talks, Kushner and Mladenov held a separate meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. According to an Israeli source cited by CNN, Kushner urged Netanyahu not to obstruct Washington's plans for Gaza's future. Netanyahu responded that advancing the US framework faces challenges due to Israel's upcoming elections.

The Prime Minister's Office described the discussions as "deep and constructive," announcing agreement to establish two joint working groups. One will focus on Gaza's disarmament, while the other will address infrastructure development and civilian needs. Sky News reported that the core discussion centered on the US supervision mechanism for dismantling Hamas's weapons.

Netanyahu explicitly opposed any withdrawal from the Gaza border at this stage, emphasizing the need to maintain the Israel Defense Forces' operational freedom against Hamas. The main dispute concerns the timeline: the US expects a gradual IDF pullback concurrent with Hamas disarmament, whereas Israel insists that full Hamas disarmament must precede any significant withdrawal.