U.S. businessman Jared Kushner speaks at the Board of Peace meeting during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. AFP
Two weeks after Hamas endorsed the latest stage of Trump's Gaza plan by agreeing to hand over its weapons to a new governing committee, Kushner pressed for verifiable disarmament, a key demand of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas reiterated its commitment to the deal during the meeting, while Kushner pushed for "concrete, verifiable steps" on disarmament and an end to any future Hamas role in running Gaza, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the diplomatic sensitivities.
The meeting came hours after a senior Hamas delegation, headed by political bureau chief Khalil Al-Hayya, held talks in Cairo with Major General Hassan Rashad, head of Egypt’s General Intelligence Service, according to media reports.
A spokesperson for the group told Anadolu Agency earlier Sunday that the talks aim to strengthen the Gaza ceasefire and prepare for implementing its second phase. The source added that the group's talks with mediators aimed to ensure Israel’s compliance with the agreed roadmap.
The talks came as the foreign ministers of eight Muslim countries condemned Israel's rejection of the roadmap for fully implementing Trump's Gaza peace plan.
The top diplomats of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar and the UAE said in a joint statement that they "condemn the declared Israeli rejection of the Road Map" and of Palestinian statehood, accusing Israel of undermining the plan's implementation and the "efforts undertaken to achieve a just and lasting peace".
On 31 July, Hamas and other Palestinian factions accepted a roadmap put forward by Trump for implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Trump announced the roadmap a day earlier, outlining a phased disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Gaza alongside the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
However, on 9 August, Tel Aviv rejected the roadmap, with Netanyahu saying Israel would not withdraw its forces until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed.
Under the first phase of the Gaza deal, brokered by Egypt, Turkey, and the US, Hamas and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, increased humanitarian aid, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip.
However, Israel has violated the deal, conducting daily strikes across Gaza, obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid, and refusing to withdraw from the Strip, while gradually expanding the area of Gaza under its military occupation.
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