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Kushner, Netanyahu Discuss Gaza 08/17 06:28
Mideast negotiator and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was meeting Monday
with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the premier rejected the
15-point, U.S.-backed road map to move the truce deal forward in Gaza.
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Mideast negotiator and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was
meeting Monday with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the
premier rejected the 15-point, U.S.-backed road map to move the truce deal
forward in Gaza.
In the latest round of meetings, the U.S. is angling for Israel's approval
of the road map. There is a lot at stake, including the lives of some 2 million
Palestinians in Gaza, the reconstruction of the demolished enclave and future
control over the territory.
Hamas says it has agreed to the road map, which includes disarmament, and
the group is urging mediators and the U.S.-created Board of Peace to "compel"
Israel to sign on as well. But Israel, which under the road map must withdraw
from Gaza, says Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal will
occur.
Israeli troops occupy about 60% of the strip and Netanyahu has previously
threatened to advance.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director
Nickolay Mladenov were also in the meeting with Netanyahu, according to a
source familiar with the plans and a diplomatic source. Both spoke on condition
of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting.
Meeting follows Kushner conversation with Hamas
The meeting comes after Kushner spent over two hours meeting Sunday with
Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on disarmament, according to a regional
official and a Hamas official, who both spoke on condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to talk to reporters.
Officials from mediating countries Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also were there.
The Hamas official also said the Hamas leader demanded Israel halt its
attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the so-called "yellow line" dividing the
territory before beginning implementation.
The yellow line was never precisely defined. Israeli forces have moved
beyond it and now control about 60% of Gaza. In May, Netanyahu said the next
step was to move to 70% control, with Israel "tightening the grip" on Hamas
"from every direction."
Regional neighbors increase pressure on Israel
Several regional powers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
issued a statement Sunday condemning Israel's rejection of the road map,
saying, "Israel now bears responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring
peace in Gaza." Other signers included Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and the
ceasefire mediators.
The foreign ministers' statement called on the Board of Peace and the U.S.
to take "immediate and concrete measures" to keep any party from obstructing
the plan's implementation.
Israel had no immediate response.
The White House referred questions about Kushner's meetings to the Board of
Peace, which did not immediately comment. The Tony Blair Institute also did not
comment.
Under the road map, Hamas would hand over weapons to the Palestinian
technocratic committee meant to oversee daily operations in the territory. The
committee has not yet entered Gaza.
But Hamas has linked the surrender of its heaviest weapons to the creation
of a Palestinian state and the road map entails the creation of a "credible
pathway toward achieving Palestinian self-determination and statehood,"
something Israel's current government rejects.
Until the road map is agreed to, other elements of the ceasefire are on
hold, including reconstruction and the deployment of international forces to
separate Israeli forces from committee-controlled areas.
Netanyahu faces a challenging election on Oct. 27 as he tries to hold onto
power with a coalition that includes ministers taking a harsh line on Gaza and
it's not clear whether he will take decisive steps on the ceasefire before then.
Also coming up is the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on
southern Israel that sparked the war.
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