Trump springs surprise as he sends Jared Kushner to confront Hamas leaders in attempt to force them into disarming in Gaza... just hours before he meets Netanyahu in Israel

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:37, 16 August 2026 | Updated: 18:42, 16 August 2026 President Donald Trump sent his son-in-law Jared Kushner into a surprise meeting with Hamas leaders in an attempt to get them to disarm Gaza, according to a new report.  Kushner, the US Special Envoy for Peace, met with leaders of the Islamist terrorist group on Sunday in Egypt, two sources close to the meeting told Axios.  He is due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to talk about 'corresponding steps' Israel must take as part of the 20-point Gaza peace plan brought forward by the US, a source said.  The focus of the 'unusual' meetup was to 'translate' Hamas' duty to demilitarize Gaza 'into concrete, verifiable steps,' the report stated.  Khalil al-Hayy, a Hamas political leader, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali al-Thawadi and an unnamed senior Turkish official attended the sit-down, sources said.  These steps have been made in a bid to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza by transferring authority to the Palestinian technocratic government and making sure that Hamas has no future role in Gaza's governance, the report detailed.  Hamas has been in power in the Gaza Strip for 19 years, but now the Board of Peace now wants the organization to retire its weapons and military infrastructure so the International Stabilization Force can deploy the territory's reconstruction and recovery 'without theft or intimidation of Palestinians involved in the efforts,' the outlet said, per a source.  The board also wants Israel to take part in 'corresponding withdrawals' in Gaza if Hamas agrees to disarm.  Jared Kushner (second on left), the US Special Envoy for Peace, met with Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday The focus of the meeting was to get Hamas to agree to disarm the terrorist group as part of the next point of the US 20-point peace plan A source told the publication: 'There can be no ambiguity: Hamas must relinquish governing authority and all weapons and military infrastructure. And Gaza can never again be a source of terror for Israel.'  The meeting came as Trump's Board of Peace continues to push Hamas and Israel to move to the next phase of the US peace plan.  The framework was proposed by Trump in September 2025 to end the war in Gaza, initiate the release of hostages, and to manage post-war reconstruction and governance.  It led to an initial ceasefire and hostage prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas.  Kushner's meeting took place just hours after Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya met with Rashad, The Times of Israel reported. It was his first meeting with Hamas leaders since the end of the war last October.  In late July, Hamas agreed to turn over their weapons as part of the peace plan, but Netanyahu publicly rejected it.  The prime minister said Israel won't do the same until there is a full disarmament of Hamas.  'I want to clarify this: Israel rejects the 15-point document. I have heard people saying, "You didn't say that". So here I am saying it again,' Netanyahu told a meeting of his Cabinet on August 9.  'The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed,' the Israeli PM added. Trump had celebrated what he described as a breakthrough in negotiations last month, saying Hamas had agreed to lay down its arms.  But the Board of Peace's roadmap calls for Israel to gradually withdraw its forces from Gaza as Hamas disarms – a sequence Netanyahu made clear he will not accept.  'When I say Hamas must be disarmed, I mean heavy weapons, lighter weapons, all weapons. We are talking about genuine disarmament, not a fictitious one,' Netanyahu declared, insisting Israeli troops will remain in Gaza until the terror group is completely stripped of its arsenal.  Meanwhile, Hamas has taken the opposite position, stating last month that the group would only disarm after Israel fully withdraws from Gaza and ends military operations.  Hamas said that surrendering its heavy weapons would come later and only if a Palestinian state is established.  Trump had celebrated what he described as a breakthrough in negotiations last month, saying Hamas had agreed to lay down its arms Netanyahu also doubled down on his long-standing opposition to Palestinian statehood, declaring: 'As long as I am Prime Minister, there will be no Palestinian State.'  His comments come as he faces a fierce political fight ahead of October elections, with the wars in Gaza and Iran expected to dominate the campaign. Senior Hamas official Basim Naeem blasted Netanyahu's remarks, urging US officials and international mediators to 'exert pressure' on the Israeli leader to follow the agreed roadmap and 'prevent him from obstructing the process for domestic political and electoral considerations.' Naeem said Hamas remained committed to the Board of Peace's proposal, describing it as an act of 'national responsibility' that serves the 'interests of the Palestinian people.'