Why Kushner met Hamas leaders, and what it means for Trump’s Gaza roadmap

What the report says

US envoy Jared Kushner is due to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Monday after taking part in talks in Cairo that included an unusual, more than two-hour meeting with a Hamas delegation. Al Jazeera reported that the delegation was led by Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and that Kushner was joined by Board of Peace Director-General Nickolay Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The discussions are part of Washington’s effort to advance a 15-point Gaza roadmap tied to President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. According to Al Jazeera, the plan has run into resistance from Netanyahu, who has publicly rejected it and says Israeli forces should not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed. The article also says Israel is continuing military operations in Gaza and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.

Analysts quoted by Al Jazeera said direct US engagement with Hamas signals a shift in Washington’s approach and reflects the group’s continuing role in any settlement. The report said the main dispute is over sequencing: Hamas has accepted the roadmap in principle, but wants Israel to meet its obligations first, including halting attacks and implementing the ceasefire framework.

The talks matter because the Gaza file has become a major test for Trump’s diplomacy, especially as other regional initiatives have stalled. Eight Arab and Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, also criticized Israel’s rejection of the framework and warned it could undermine efforts to end the war and begin reconstruction.