Trump’s envoy says Hamas disarmament could begin within 30 days
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- Jared Kushner told Fox News from Tel Aviv on August 17, 2026 that Gaza peace progress — including removing weapons and filling tunnels — could begin within 30 days after meeting Netanyahu and holding rare direct talks with Hamas in Egypt.
- Kushner and Netanyahu agreed an American general would verify Hamas's disarmament, with Netanyahu insisting there would be no Israeli pullout from Gaza until that process is complete.
- Hamas, represented by new leader Khalil al-Hayya, told Kushner it is committed to the Gaza plan and asked for pressure on Netanyahu, who faces a tough re-election fight.
- The July 30 roadmap tasks Major General Jasper Jeffers and the nascent International Stabilisation Force with supervising weapons decommissioning; the Board of Peace said every weapon collected will be permanently decommissioned.
- Tony Blair joined Kushner in the talks as a Board of Peace member; the Board said Israel "retains its full right of self-defence" if Hamas resorts to violence or attempts to rearm.
- Both sides agreed no redeployment or reconstruction in Gaza would occur before Hamas is disarmed throughout the territory, a senior Israeli official told AFP.
Why it matters: Netanyahu extracted a written precondition — no Israeli withdrawal until Hamas is fully disarmed and verified by a US general — while Kushner publicly floated a 30-day start; that gap between the timeline and the precondition sets up an immediate test of whether the plan advances or stalls before Netanyahu's re-election fight heats up.
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