CAIRO — US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Jared Kushner held a rare meeting with Hamas’s new political chief on Sunday in Egypt, in a fresh diplomatic effort to make progress in the stalled Gaza ceasefire. Kushner will meet on Monday with Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under pressure after rejecting the new 15-point, US-backed road map.The talks aim to salvage the plan for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territory shattered by war.The over two-hour meeting between Trump’s son-in-law in Egypt on Sunday with Hamas political chief Khalil al-Hayya was confirmed by a regional official and a Hamas official, both speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters. Kushner was one of a trio of envoys meeting with al-Hayya, with officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also there.A meeting between Kushner, fellow envoy Steve Witkoff and Hamas leaders in Egypt last year helped clinch the ceasefire, whose progress until now had been stalled over the key issue of Hamas’s disarmament.Last month, Trump’s Board of Peace said it had reached agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed group in Gaza. Last week, Israel rejected Trump’s 15-point plan which also calls for Israeli troops to withdraw and for Gaza to be rebuilt under a new civilian Palestinian administration.In a statement later, Hamas called on mediators and the US-created Board of Peace overseeing the ceasefire to “compel” Israel to approve the road map for next steps.Eight Muslim countries issued a statement on Sunday condemning Israel’s rejection.Trump leads the Board of Peace, created as an international organization originally intended to bring peace to Gaza but later expanded to include conflicts worldwide.Kushner’s meeting with Hayya is said to be the first at this level since last year’s agreement of a ceasefire for the Gaza Strip.According to reports, Board of Peace envoys Nickolay Mladenov and UK ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair were also part of the meeting alongside representatives of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have mediated in the peace efforts.No official statement has been released of the talks reportedly focusing on concrete actions to decommission Hamas’s weapons as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops and humanitarian efforts.While in Egypt, Kushner also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to Israeli media reports, Kushner, Mladenov and Blair will meet Netanyahu on Monday with the aim of advancing Trump’s plan.At stake are the lives of some 2 million people in Gaza and reconstruction of the crowded enclave now largely controlled by Israeli forces, more than 10 months since the ceasefire ended major military operations. The Israeli prime minister has said he wants a full Hamas disarmament first in order to implement the deal.”Israel rejects the Board of Peace’s 15-point document on Gaza. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed,” Netanyahu said last week defying Israel’s closest ally.In a joint statement on Sunday, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia said Israel’s rejection of the US plan threatened Trump’s efforts for peace.The ceasefire, which came into effect on 10 October last year, remains in place.However, the Israeli military have carried out several strikes in Gaza since then — the latest in Khan Yunis and Nuseirat areas of Gaza, accusing Hamas of breaking the truce.
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