US President Donald Trump's envoy Jared Kushner said Monday that efforts to disarm Hamas and advance a proposed Gaza peace plan could begin within 30 days, following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kushner said progress could involve the initial removal of weapons from Hamas as well as steps to seal tunnels, offering a possible timeline for implementing one of the most contentious elements of the US-backed plan to end the war in Gaza.
"We could be seeing progress... in as little as 30 days," Kushner told Fox News while in Tel Aviv. He said the process could hopefully begin with "taking some of the weapons out" and filling in tunnels. His comments came as the Trump administration sought to move negotiations forward after months of fighting and intense diplomatic efforts aimed at establishing a lasting framework for Gaza.
Kushner's remarks followed an understanding reached with Netanyahu under which an American general would verify Hamas's disarmament, according to an Israeli official. Netanyahu has maintained that Israel would not withdraw its forces from Gaza until Hamas had been disarmed. The verification mechanism is intended to address Israeli concerns over whether Hamas has genuinely surrendered its weapons and whether the group would retain the ability to carry out further attacks.
Also Read: Khalil Al-Hayya Emerges as Hamas's Key Man in US Negotiations
The issue of disarmament has become one of the biggest obstacles to implementing the US-backed peace proposal. Hamas has publicly committed to handing over its weapons to a new Palestinian governing body under the proposed arrangement. Netanyahu, however, has expressed scepticism over the commitment and rejected the latest stage of the US plan publicly, creating a significant challenge for the Trump administration as it attempts to secure Israeli support for the broader framework.
The latest discussions represent a renewed effort by Trump's administration to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu's political position has added further complexity to the negotiations, with the Israeli prime minister facing a difficult re-election contest. His government has continued to emphasise security guarantees and the removal of Hamas's military capabilities as essential conditions for any lasting agreement.
Kushner's involvement gives the talks an additional diplomatic dimension. Trump's son-in-law and a longtime family friend of Netanyahu, he met the Israeli prime minister in Jerusalem after holding rare direct discussions with Hamas representatives in Egypt. The meeting with Hamas was significant because direct engagement between the group and senior US officials has historically been highly sensitive.
Hamas has publicly committed itself to the broader US-backed plan, including the proposed transfer of its weapons to a new Palestinian governing authority. The next stage will depend heavily on whether the parties can agree on how disarmament is carried out, monitored and verified. Kushner's suggestion that the process could begin within a month offers a potential timetable, but major differences remain over Israeli troop withdrawals, Hamas's weapons and the future governing structure of Gaza.
The proposed American verification mechanism could provide a way to address Israel's concerns while allowing negotiations over the wider peace plan to continue. However, implementation will require agreement on the practical details and assurances from both sides. For now, Kushner's comments indicate that Washington believes progress could be made quickly, but the unresolved dispute over Hamas's disarmament remains central to efforts to end the Gaza conflict and establish a post-war political arrangement.
Also Read: Kushner Meets Netanyahu Following Two-Hour Hamas Talks Focused On Gaza