Hamas has called on Donald Trump's proposed Board of Peace to 'compel' Israel over the US president's Gaza peace plan, as envoy Jared Kushner shuttles between the two sides and Israel resumes airstrikes.
Key facts
- Jared Kushner met Hamas officials before talks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Trump's envoys met Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday.
- Netanyahu rejected the US-backed 15-point peace plan in a rare public break with the Trump administration.
- Israel resumed airstrikes in Gaza after scaling back attacks earlier in the month.
- Saudi Arabia and the UAE condemned Israel's rejection of the peace road map.
Hamas has called for Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace to ‘compel’ Israel to accept the US president’s Gaza peace plan, according to the Guardian’s live coverage of the Middle East crisis. The appeal came as diplomacy intensified around efforts to salvage a ceasefire in the territory.
Trump’s son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner is on a diplomatic mission in the region, meeting Hamas officials ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The push follows a diplomatic meeting in Cairo on Sunday, where a diplomatic source said Trump’s envoys met with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators to advance the peace plan.
The talks are unfolding even as Israel pressed on with airstrikes in Gaza, having resumed attacks in recent days after scaling them back earlier in the month. One person wounded in a strike on Khan Younis later died at Nasser hospital, medics said. A separate strike, which the Israeli military said targeted a militant, hit an apartment in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, wounding several people, according to medics.
Trump’s peace plan calls for the immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza and foresees Hamas disarming as Israeli troops withdraw and the territory is rebuilt. A senior Israeli official said on Sunday that Israel was concerned about Washington’s demand to end targeted assassinations of Hamas militants as the group rebuilds its forces, Reuters reported.
The diplomacy comes after Netanyahu rejected the US-backed 15-point peace plan this month in what the Guardian described as a rare public break with the Trump administration. Several regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, condemned Israel’s rejection of the road map on Sunday, saying the country is obstructing peace efforts.
Kushner’s mission, according to the Guardian, is an attempt to salvage a ceasefire in Gaza following the Israeli rejection. The talks with both Hamas and Netanyahu are aimed at bridging the gap between the two sides over the terms of Trump’s plan.
Why it matters
Trump's 15-point plan represents one of the most detailed frameworks yet for ending the Gaza conflict, but Netanyahu's public rejection has thrown it into doubt. The outcome of Kushner's shuttle diplomacy could determine whether a ceasefire is reached or fighting continues.
Frequently asked questions
What does Trump's Gaza peace plan call for?
According to the Guardian, the plan calls for the immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza and foresees Hamas disarming as Israeli troops withdraw from the territory and Gaza is rebuilt.
Why did Netanyahu reject the plan?
The sources state that Netanyahu rejected the US-backed 15-point peace plan in a rare public break with the Trump administration, but do not detail his specific reasons.
Who is involved in the diplomatic talks?
Jared Kushner is meeting Hamas officials and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, while Trump's envoys met Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also weighed in, condemning Israel's rejection of the plan.