Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US envoy Jared Kushner reportedly reached an agreement on further steps in Gaza during a meeting in Jerusalem. US President Donald Trump‘s Peace Council says the deal signals Israel’s willingness to give the American peace plan a chance.
The United States and Israel agreed that Israeli troops will remain in Gaza, and that reconstruction of Palestinian territories will not start until Hamas is disarmed. Israeli government sources told the AFP news agency. Hamas did not comment on the reports. On Sunday, the group’s leader Khalil al-Hayya met with Kushner in Cairo.
Demilitarization and Aid Conditions
Earlier in August, Netanyahu rejected a Gaza plan backed by US President Donald Trump and a document presented by his so‑called Peace Council. The present agreement only partially reflects that peace plan.
One of the 15 points calls for a newly created apolitical Palestinian group (NCAG) to take custody of weapons that Hamas must surrender. However, during Monday’s meeting, Netanyahu told AFP that the process should be overseen by an American general and that the weapons be destroyed to prevent them from reaching Palestinian hands. Kushner reportedly accepted this condition.
Netanyahu‘s office said Israel will set up two working groups to manage the demilitarization of Gaza and to coordinate humanitarian aid for the region. The Peace Council, citing The Times of Israel, praised the meeting and noted that it demonstrates Israel’s readiness to give the American plan a chance.
“We agreed with the Prime Minister on further steps. Israel will give this a chance. Now Hamas must show that it truly intends to comply with the agreement,” the Peace Council’s statement said.
Source: Dagens Nyheter
