Jared Kushner, son-in-law to Donald Trump, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair are scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. The discussions center on a 15-point roadmap intended to secure peace in Gaza. These talks follow a period of diplomatic tension, as Netanyahu recently rejected the roadmap and Hamas maintains it will not disarm until Israel fulfills ceasefire obligations.
The meeting comes as military operations in Gaza have been halted for 10 months, yet approximately 2 million people remain in an enclave largely controlled by Israeli forces. The U.S.-established Board of Peace, led by director Nickolay Mladenov, is overseeing the ceasefire efforts. Blair has reportedly become more involved in these talks in recent months, contributing to proposals for a postwar governing body that would replace Hamas.
Recent diplomatic efforts included a two-hour meeting in Egypt between Kushner and Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, alongside mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. During these talks, Hamas called on the Board of Peace to compel Israel to approve the roadmap. Meanwhile, regional powers including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan issued a joint statement attributing the obstruction of peace efforts to Israel's rejection of the plan.
Under the current roadmap, Hamas would surrender its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee responsible for Gaza's daily administration. However, Hamas has stated it will only surrender heavy arms if a Palestinian state is established. Conversely, Netanyahu has stated that Israeli forces will not withdraw from their current positions—which cover approximately 60% of Gaza—until Hamas is completely disarmed.
For the Israeli public and government, the negotiations coincide with a significant political period leading up to the October 27 election. Prime Minister Netanyahu is managing a coalition that includes ministers who oppose specific Gaza policies, and the political climate is influenced by the upcoming anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks. The scale of the military presence is also at stake; currently, Israeli forces control 60% of the territory, a figure Netanyahu previously suggested could rise to 70%.
The resolution of the disarmament impasse is the primary hurdle for the next phase of the peace process. Hamas is currently waiting for mediators to trigger a 14-day negotiation window to set a formal implementation schedule. If successful, the plan would involve the deployment of international forces to separate Israeli troops from areas governed by the new Palestinian committee. However, without an agreement on the "yellow line" withdrawal or the timing of weapon surrenders, the timeline for these changes remains uncertain. The next major milestone is the October 27 election, which may shift the Israeli government's negotiating stance.