Pattaya Advances Plan for Three-Line Monorail Project

JERUSALEM: US President Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner has concluded two days of talks with Israeli and Hamas representatives without securing a clear breakthrough in efforts to revive Washington’s Gaza peace plan. Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, following discussions with Hamas political leader Khalil Al-Hayya in Egypt a day earlier. The meetings were aimed at overcoming the deadlock surrounding the US-backed plan as fighting and Israeli military operations continue in Gaza. An Israeli official said Netanyahu made clear that Israel would not withdraw from the positions outlined in the October ceasefire arrangement and would continue military operations in Gaza when deemed necessary. Israel has also maintained that reconstruction cannot begin until Hamas is fully disarmed. The meeting between Kushner and Netanyahu lasted several hours and was also attended by Nickolay Mladenov, the Trump administration’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza. Israeli officials described the discussions as deep and constructive, while a Board of Peace official called them productive and said the sides had agreed on a possible way forward without providing further details. Netanyahu’s office said Israel and the Board of Peace agreed that Gaza’s disarmament and demilitarisation must be completed before major reconstruction begins. The two sides also agreed to form working groups focused on disarmament as well as sanitation, clean water and other public health needs in the territory. The talks come as Netanyahu faces a challenging election campaign ahead of the October 27 vote, making major concessions on Gaza politically difficult, according to diplomats. Kushner’s meeting with Hamas representatives in Egypt was his second known engagement with the group. He previously participated in talks with Hamas alongside US envoy Steve Witkoff in October 2025, negotiations that contributed to a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages held by Hamas. Earlier, Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday as Washington stepped up efforts to revive its stalled plan for ending the Gaza war. The meeting came a day after Kushner held talks in Cairo with Hamas representatives, including senior leader Khalil Al-Hayya, marking his second known direct engagement with the Palestinian group. Kushner was accompanied in Jerusalem by Trump’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov. The latest diplomatic push comes amid deep disagreements over the implementation of the US-backed Gaza plan. Under the proposal, Hamas and other armed groups would surrender their weapons while Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from Gaza. An international stabilisation force, alongside a new Palestinian police force, would then help maintain security in the territory. Netanyahu, however, has insisted that Israeli troops will not withdraw until Hamas and other armed groups are fully disarmed. Israel has also rejected a separate US-backed roadmap aimed at moving the broader peace plan forward. Diplomats say Israel is unlikely to make major concessions on Gaza ahead of the country’s October 27 election, adding another challenge to Washington’s efforts to break the deadlock. The talks have gained urgency as implementation of the ceasefire framework remains limited, with Israeli strikes continuing in Gaza despite commitments under the US plan. Hamas has said it accepts the proposed disarmament framework but argues that its implementation depends on Israel fulfilling its own obligations, including withdrawing forces and ending attacks. Kushner previously met Hamas officials alongside US envoy Steve Witkoff in October 2025. Those discussions helped produce an agreement that led to a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages captured during the October 7, 2023 attack. The latest meetings suggest Washington is seeking to reopen negotiations and bridge the widening gap between Israel and Hamas before the Gaza peace initiative loses further momentum.