Kushner leaves Israel without Gaza breakthrough
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- Jared Kushner left Jerusalem Monday after two days of talks with Israeli and Hamas leaders, producing no breakthrough on Trump's stalled Gaza plan as both sides held firm on key demands.
- Kushner described his nearly four-hour meeting with Netanyahu as "good" and said Hamas representatives "said all the right things," floating potential 30-day progress on weapons removal and 60-90 days on filling tunnels.
- Netanyahu rejected the deal earlier this month, insisting Israel would not pull back until Hamas is fully disarmed, even as Israeli air strikes continued and more territory was seized despite an October ceasefire.
- Netanyahu and Kushner agreed Gaza reconstruction will not begin until Hamas disarms and established two working groups — one on disarmament, one on sanitation, clean water, and public health.
- The U.S. will not restrict Israel's right to defend itself against imminent threats, a point Kushner said needs clarification, as both sides dispute the sequencing of Trump's 15-point roadmap.
- Netanyahu faces a tough re-election campaign ahead of an Oct. 27 vote, with diplomats saying Gaza concessions before the election are unlikely and polls showing most Israelis want the war to continue.
Why it matters: Netanyahu faces an Oct. 27 election with polls showing most Israelis wanting the war to continue, making pre-vote concessions unlikely. Kushner floated a 30-day disarmament timeline and both sides agreed reconstruction waits on Hamas demilitarization — yet the impasse has already cost more than 1,200 Palestinian and four Israeli soldiers' lives since last October.
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