Washington's New Push in Cairo to Force a Gaza Peace Plan Forward

US envoys Jared Kushner and Nickolay Mladenov met Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday in an effort to move Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan forward, according to a diplomatic source. Hamas representatives attended some of the sessions as Israeli airstrikes continued in the enclave.

The plan Washington is pushing calls for an immediate halt to military operations in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops and reconstruction under a new Palestinian civilian administration. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already called the latest version 'unacceptable', and a senior Israeli official said Kushner and Mladenov are scheduled to meet him on Monday.

Israel's main objection, according to the official, is Washington's demand that it stop targeted killings of Hamas militants while the group rebuilds its forces. In recent days Israel has resumed airstrikes; on Sunday its military said it struck a militant in Khan Younis, wounding at least five Palestinians in a tent camp, and carried out another strike on an apartment in Nuseirat refugee camp.

Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya met Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad in Cairo, and Kushner earlier met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Hamas says it accepted the plan to avoid a return to war but insists implementation depends on Israel first withdrawing its forces and suspending attacks.

The Three-Way Standoff Behind the Gaza Ceasefire Push

Why Netanyahu Calls the Plan 'Unacceptable'

Netanyahu's public rejection predates this Cairo round and is now attached to a specific demand: Washington wants Israel to end selective killings of Hamas militants while the group rebuilds. That is the point where the plan's security logic collides with Israeli military strategy. If the US insists on that provision, Monday's meeting becomes a test of whether Washington can extract concessions rather than simply restate the plan.

The Hamas Condition That Could Stall Implementation

Hamas has framed its acceptance as conditional: implementation depends on Israel first fulfilling its commitments, including withdrawal and a suspension of attacks. This sequencing means the disarmament phase, the most difficult concession for Hamas, comes after steps Israel has not yet taken. By reporting alleged Israeli ceasefire violations to mediators, Hamas is also working to shift the enforcement burden onto Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.

The Mediating Powers Are Being Asked to Enforce, Not Just Broker

The Cairo meetings show Washington leaning on regional capitals to deliver compliance. Egypt's role is the most visible: Kushner met Sisi, and Al-Hayya met Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad. Qatar and Turkey maintain the channels to Hamas, but the diplomatic source's description of US envoys pressing mediators suggests Washington sees these governments as guarantors of any implementation sequence, not merely hosts for talks.

Next Decision Points for the Gaza Peace Plan

The next decision points are specific and close together:

  • Monday's Netanyahu meeting with Kushner and Mladenov is the immediate test. Without some movement on the demand to halt targeted killings, Washington's effort will have failed to reset the Israeli position Netanyahu rejected on Aug 9.
  • The resumption of Israeli strikes in Khan Younis and Nuseirat is in direct tension with the plan's ceasefire requirement. A documented pause would be the first practical sign that the military track is being subordinated to diplomacy.
  • Hamas's sequencing demand is the central obstacle. Its conditional acceptance still requires Israel to withdraw and suspend attacks before Hamas disarms, so mediators must either secure that order or find a phased alternative.
  • Cairo is the natural venue for a concrete mediator proposal. With Kushner's Sisi meeting and Al-Hayya's intelligence contacts now complete, a joint Egyptian-Qatari-Turkish statement or a revised implementation timeline would signal whether the talks produced more than consultation.