US Middle East negotiator Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday as Washington sought Israeli backing for a US-supported roadmap aimed at moving a Gaza truce agreement forward. The meeting followed Kushner’s more than two-hour discussion with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt, where disarmament and other elements of the proposed agreement were reportedly discussed. The latest diplomatic effort comes after Netanyahu rejected the 15-point roadmap backed by the United States. The plan is intended to establish a framework for advancing a ceasefire, addressing the future of Gaza and setting out arrangements for Israeli withdrawal and the reconstruction of the territory.

The negotiations carry major implications for Gaza’s roughly two million Palestinians, as well as for the question of who will govern and rebuild the enclave. Hamas has said it has agreed to the roadmap, which includes provisions concerning the group’s disarmament. The Palestinian group has urged mediators and the US-created Board of Peace to press Israel to accept the proposal as well. Hamas has also sought an end to Israeli attacks and a withdrawal of Israeli forces to the so-called yellow line before implementation begins, according to a Hamas official cited in reports.

Israel, however, has maintained a different position on the sequence of the agreement. Netanyahu has said Hamas must fully disarm before Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza. Under the US-backed roadmap, Israel would be required to pull its forces back, making the question of Hamas’ weapons one of the most contentious issues in the negotiations. Kushner’s meeting with Netanyahu followed his talks with al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. Officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey were also present during the discussions, according to officials familiar with the meeting. The talks focused on disarmament and the conditions required for the proposed roadmap to move forward, with the mediators seeking to bridge the differences between Israel and Hamas.

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Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov also attended the meeting with Netanyahu, according to people familiar with the plans. The involvement of senior figures reflects the US effort to build support for the proposed framework and overcome disagreements that have prevented the truce process from advancing. A key point of contention remains the extent of Israeli military control over Gaza. Israeli troops currently occupy about 60% of the territory, according to officials cited in reports. The so-called yellow line separating areas of control has not been precisely defined, while Israeli forces have moved beyond it.

Netanyahu had previously indicated that Israel could expand its control further while seeking to increase pressure on Hamas. The diplomatic push comes as the future of Gaza remains closely tied to the questions of security, disarmament, Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction. Hamas’ stated acceptance of the roadmap and Israel’s objections over the sequencing of disarmament and withdrawal leave significant differences unresolved. Kushner’s meeting with Netanyahu therefore represents another attempt by the United States and regional mediators to narrow those differences. Whether Israel accepts the proposed roadmap, and whether Hamas can meet the disarmament requirements attached to it, will be crucial to determining whether the latest negotiations can produce a lasting truce and establish a framework for Gaza’s reconstruction and future governance.

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