Envoys for U.S. President Donald Trump met with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday to discuss a Gaza peace plan, according to a diplomatic source. The meetings took place as Israel continued airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, reporting that it targeted militants from Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
The diplomatic push follows a ceasefire in October that decreased major fighting in a two-year conflict but did not end all hostilities. The conflict began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. Trump announced a breakthrough in his plan last month, which calls for an immediate end to military operations, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the establishment of a new civilian Palestinian administration.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, represented the U.S. in the Cairo talks, where Hamas officials were present for some sessions. The envoys are scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Netanyahu previously described the roadmap as "unacceptable" on August 9, and his Likud party suggested Arab nations supported the plan to weaken his political standing ahead of a national election on October 27.
For individuals in Gaza, the plan's immediate impact would be the cessation of airstrikes and military operations, which recently wounded at least five people in Khan Younis and Nuseirat on Sunday. The scale of the proposal involves a total disarmament of Hamas, a condition Israel has supported, though the Israeli government has expressed concerns about Washington's demand to end targeted assassinations of militants. The plan also oversees a reconstruction effort for the enclave, though no specific dollar amounts for this rebuilding were reported.
The outcome of these negotiations will determine the legal and military rights of those living in the enclave and the level of border security for Israeli households. A failure to reach an agreement could lead to a resumption of full-scale conflict, which Hamas stated it wished to avoid by agreeing to the plan's initial terms. The next steps include the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu on Monday and the upcoming Israeli national election on October 27, 2026, which may influence the government's willingness to accept the proposed roadmap.