Kushner's Gaza Plan Hits Wall: Israel Refuses to Disarm Hamas as Minister Calls for 40 Killings a Night
A U.S.-backed road map for Gaza remains deadlocked after Jared Kushner's shuttle diplomacy failed to break Israeli resistance, while a senior Israeli minister publicly demanded the killing of 30 to 40 Palestinians nightly.
Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem this week in a renewed push to advance a 15-point, U.S.-backed peace plan for Gaza [221357][221266]. The meeting followed Kushner’s rare, two-hour direct talks with senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt—the first known high-level contact between the Trump administration and the group Washington designates as a terrorist organization [220805][221091].
The core dispute remains unchanged: Netanyahu insists no ceasefire can take hold unless Hamas fully disarms and hands over its weapons. Hamas says it has accepted the plan and agreed to disarm, but only if Israel withdraws its troops—which currently control about 60% of the Gaza Strip—and commits to a credible pathway toward Palestinian statehood [220805]. Israel’s current government rejects that idea, and Netanyahu has not agreed to sign the plan [220805][221266].
No details of the meeting’s outcome were released. Both sides described the discussion as “constructive,” but no breakthrough was announced [221266]. The talks ended in stalemate, with neither side showing signs of flexibility as violence persists along the Gaza border [221150][221091].
The diplomatic effort unfolded against a backdrop of inflammatory rhetoric from within Netanyahu’s own coalition. Israel’s ultranationalist National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, publicly called for the killing of “30 to 40 people” every night in Gaza, saying, “There are people there who do not deserve to live. They should not live. They are not even people” [220885]. Ben Gvir, a convicted criminal with ties to the extremist Kach movement, also called for the “mass migration of Palestinians” from Gaza so Jewish settlements can be built there [220885]. Such statements have been presented to the International Court of Justice as evidence of genocidal intent by Israel—a charge Israeli leaders deny [220885].
Kushner reportedly warned Hamas it must disarm within 60 to 90 days, or Israel would receive full U.S. backing to “finish the job” [221212]. Analysts say the deadline puts immediate pressure on negotiators, but no official response from Hamas has been reported [221212].
Several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, and Indonesia, issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s rejection of the road map and holding it responsible for blocking peace efforts [220805]. The White House referred questions to the Board of Peace, which did not comment [220805].
The plan, which has not been made public in full, is expected to include a major infrastructure fund for Gaza funded by Gulf states in exchange for Hamas’s disarmament—a condition that remains the biggest obstacle [221091]. Until the plan is agreed upon, other parts of the ceasefire remain on hold, including rebuilding Gaza and sending international forces to separate Israeli troops from committee-controlled areas [220805].
Netanyahu faces a difficult election on Oct. 27, and his coalition includes ministers with hardline views on Gaza [220805]. The anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel—which sparked the ongoing war—is also approaching [220805].