Donald Trump Sends Son-in-Law Jared Kushner to Broker Gaza Deal, First Meeting Held in Egypt

Washington: America has once again intensified diplomatic efforts to take forward the long-stalled ceasefire deal in Gaza. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and special envoy Jared Kushner met with senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. This meeting was part of Trump's effort to advance his 15-point Gaza roadmap.

Officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also attended the meeting with Kushner. The main focus of this conversation was on the proposal of Hamas to give up weapons and the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

What was the conversation between Kushner and Hamas?

The American side is trying to ensure that Hamas takes concrete and verifiable steps towards disarming Gaza. Instead, the roadmap proposes a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces, a ceasefire and the reconstruction of Gaza. Hamas has expressed commitment in principle to the plan, but differences remain over the terms of its implementation.

What big condition did Hamas put forward?

Hamas says that before the plan can be implemented, Israeli attacks in Gaza must stop and Israeli forces must withdraw to the so-called 'Yellow Line'. After this it has been said that talks will start for 14 days. On the other hand, Israel is citing complete disarmament of Hamas as its main condition.

Why did Netanyahu reject Trump's roadmap?

The US-backed 15-point roadmap includes a plan to disarm Hamas, along with withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and reconstruction of the area. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not accepted the proposal. Their stance is that the Israeli army will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed.

Why is there still no consensus in Gaza?

The biggest obstacle in carrying forward the ceasefire in Gaza is the withdrawal of weapons by Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces. Hamas first wants to stop Israeli attacks and withdrawal of troops, while Israel is insisting on complete disarmament of Hamas first. This difference remains the biggest challenge in taking Trump's roadmap forward.

America's latest diplomatic effort has come at a time when many Arab countries have also appealed to Israel to accept Trump's Gaza plan. In such a situation, Kushner's talks with both Hamas and Netanyahu are being considered important for ceasefire efforts.