Hamas Reaffirms Commitment to Demilitarize Gaza in Meeting with Jared Kushner

Hamas leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza during a meeting Sunday in Egypt with Jared Kushner, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The talks centered on implementing a U.S.-backed roadmap that calls for Hamas and other armed groups to relinquish weapons and governing authority in the territory.

Kushner, accompanied by Board of Peace representatives including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and High Representative Nikolay Mladenov, met with a Hamas delegation led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo. Sources described the approximately 90-minute session as productive. Hamas officials asked Kushner to convey to Trump that the group remained committed to the disarmament process outlined in the Board of Peace framework. A source with direct knowledge of the meeting said the U.S. side thanked them for the commitment but emphasized the need for “real efforts and not just words,” adding that it was important for Kushner to lock the group into the pledge in person.

The framework, which Trump described as a historic agreement when it was announced at the end of July, requires Hamas to fully demilitarize by decommissioning heavy weapons, military infrastructure, tunnels, and other capabilities, while also handing over governing authority to a technocratic Palestinian administration known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. As verified disarmament progresses, Israeli forces would undertake corresponding withdrawals, an international stabilization force would deploy, and reconstruction and sustained humanitarian relief would advance. The United States and mediators have insisted there can be no ambiguity: Hamas must relinquish all weapons and military infrastructure so that Gaza can never again serve as a source of terror against Israel.

During the Cairo meeting, Kushner stressed that there was no room for negotiation on the core requirement of disarmament and noted that the bar remains high because of Israeli skepticism about Hamas’s intentions. Hamas raised concerns about continued Israeli military activity in Gaza and sought assurances of reciprocal steps. The group has conditioned the start of concrete disarmament measures on Israel fulfilling its own obligations under the plan, including halting strikes and demonstrating commitment to the roadmap. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly expressed reservations about aspects of the sequence, particularly the timing of withdrawals relative to complete demilitarization.The Board of Peace process builds on earlier ceasefire arrangements and aims to transfer civilian control away from Hamas while ensuring security for both Gazans and Israel. Kushner was scheduled to travel onward to Israel for discussions with Netanyahu following the Egypt meetings. While Hamas’s reaffirmation of the commitment marks a notable development in the long-running negotiations, officials on all sides have underscored that progress will be measured by tangible actions rather than statements alone. Implementation remains contingent on coordinated steps by both parties amid deep mutual distrust.