Hamas reaffirms Gaza disarmament pledge in talks with Kushner

Hamas has reportedly reiterated its willingness to disarm and demilitarise Gaza during direct talks with US President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, while seeking a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal in return.

Axios reported that Kushner held a rare 90-minute meeting in Egypt on Sunday with Hamas political chief Khalil al-Hayya, aimed at securing the group’s commitment to a Gaza peace framework announced by Trump in late July.

Under the proposed arrangement, Hamas would surrender its weapons and transfer civilian and security authority in Gaza to a technocratic administration. Trump’s Board of Peace would, in turn, seek reciprocal measures from Israel, including initial troop withdrawals, while facilitating increased humanitarian assistance and reconstruction.

According to a source cited by Axios, Kushner told al-Hayya that Hamas needed to demonstrate concrete progress towards disarmament before Israel could be expected to make corresponding concessions.

Al-Hayya reportedly asked Kushner to convey to Trump that Hamas remained committed to giving up its weapons. The source said US representatives welcomed the assurance but wanted to see action rather than statements of intent.

Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali al-Thawadi, a senior Turkish official, Board of Peace representatives and former British prime minister Tony Blair were also reported to have attended the meeting.

Hamas later issued a statement reaffirming its commitment to the peace roadmap, including demands for a permanent ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal, continued humanitarian aid and reconstruction. Its public statement, however, did not specifically refer to disarmament.

Kushner is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss measures Israel would be expected to take under the framework. Netanyahu last week rejected the proposed roadmap, maintaining that Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas had been “genuinely disarmed.”

The diplomatic push comes as the foreign ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates issued a joint statement on Sunday criticising Israel’s rejection of the framework and Palestinian statehood.

The eight countries accused Israel of obstructing efforts towards peace and called for stronger US involvement in implementing the plan, which they said is backed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803.