US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas' new leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday in a fresh effort to revive Washington's Gaza peace plan, according to sources familiar with the talks.
Kushner pressed Hamas for concrete and verifiable steps towards disarmament, a key condition set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, two weeks after the Palestinian group endorsed the latest stage of Trump's proposal by signalling its readiness to hand over weapons to a new governing committee.
Kushner conveyed the message that "Gaza can never again be a source of terror for Israel" and called for "concrete, verifiable steps", one source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.
AFP reported on Monday that the talks took place in the Egyptian Mediterranean city of El-Alamein, marking al-Hayya's first known trip abroad since he assumed leadership of Hamas in July.
Soon after taking over, al-Hayya's group backed a roadmap for disarmament, although some observers viewed the move as tactical, anticipating that Israel would reject the proposal.
A second source familiar with Sunday's talks said Hamas again expressed its commitment to the plan during the meeting with Kushner.
Following the discussions, Hamas called on mediators and Trump's so-called Board of Peace to "compel" Israel to "approve the roadmap... and begin establishing a timetable for its implementation".
An image released by Egypt did not show al-Hayya, but depicted Kushner seated at a table with members of the Board of Peace, including former British prime minister Tony Blair. Qatar and Türkiye, which together with Egypt have played key mediating roles, also participated in the discussions.
The meeting underscored the Trump administration's increasingly direct engagement with Hamas, despite Washington's long-standing refusal to maintain contact with the group, which the United States designates as a terrorist organisation.
The Trump administration has increasingly pursued direct engagement in an effort to end the devastating Gaza conflict, including negotiations that produced an October ceasefire agreement and the release of remaining Israeli hostages.
Kushner is due to meet Netanyahu on Monday as the Israeli Prime Minister faces a difficult re-election contest in October.
Muslim States Condemn Israel's Rejection
The three regional mediators — Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye — joined Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Indonesia on Sunday in condemning Israel's rejection of Trump's Gaza plan.
In a joint statement, the eight countries said "Israel bears direct and full responsibility" for obstructing peace, warning that its rejection "directly threatens to derail extensive efforts" led by Trump.
Netanyahu's Likud Party responded by accusing the Arab states of seeking to undermine the Prime Minister ahead of the election.
The UAE's participation was particularly significant given its decision to normalise relations with Israel five years ago, paving the way for an economic and strategic relationship that Netanyahu regards as a major achievement.
Netanyahu has nevertheless opposed the US proposal, even after Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, assured Israel that its forces would not be required to withdraw from the territory until Hamas had been completely disarmed.
The Board of Peace had initially proposed a phased Israeli withdrawal alongside Hamas' disarmament.
Israel Resumes Strikes In Gaza
Israeli airstrikes have resumed in Gaza following a lull after Trump began promoting his peace proposal, although the October ceasefire had never completely halted violence in the territory.
Several people were injured on Sunday after Israeli aircraft struck a house west of Nuseirat, according to Mahmoud Bassal, spokesman for Gaza's civil defence agency, which operates as a rescue service under Hamas.
The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out in response to a threat from Islamic Jihad militants and that measures had been taken to reduce the risk to civilians.
"The terrorists advanced terror attacks and were struck in precise aerial strikes to remove the threat," it said.
Several others were reportedly wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on tents sheltering displaced people west of Khan Younis. Separately, Gaza's civil defence agency said the body of a child, Suhail Shallouf, was recovered after he was killed by Israeli fire on Saturday.
According to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, Israeli operations have killed at least 1,262 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October. The United Nations considers the ministry's casualty figures reliable.
The Israeli military has reported five deaths among its forces during the same period. - August 17, 2026
