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⚡️ Ahead of Envoy Kushner’s visit to Egypt this weekend, Major General Hassan Rashad, the Head of the Egyptian General Intelligence Directorate, received a Hamas delegation led by Khalil al-Hayya to discuss the completion of the peace plan and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
The meeting addressed the implementation of decisions from the ‘Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit’ and mechanisms for executing the proposed plan of the United States, with Khalil al-Hayya affirming Hamas’ commitment to the implementation of the plan.
Jared Kushner travelled to Egypt along with representatives from President Trump’s Board of Peace, to conduct a 90-minute meeting with Hamas leadership in which they reaffirmed Hamas commitments towards the disarmament and demilitarisation of Gaza.
Kushner first met with President El-Sisi in El Alamein city in the north of Egypt, which was also attended by Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Atty and the head of the General Intelligence, Hassan Rashad.
The official spokesperson for the Egyptian Presidency said the meeting addressed developments in the Middle East region, where President El-Sisi emphasised the importance of continued efforts to address common challenges, given both countries’ commitment to supporting security and stability at the regional and international levels, pointing out the necessity of resolving the various crises in the region to preserve regional stability.
According to the spokesperson, the meeting also addressed developments in the Palestinian issue, where emphasis was placed on the need for all parties to fulfil their commitments under the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which was reached during the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit in October 2025.
Kushner stressed that Hamas must provide tangible proof of decommissioning the military infrastructure which will help overcome Israeli distrust, and aid the transition into the next phase of the US 20-point peace plan.
Following the meeting in Cairo, Kushner travelled to Israel to coordinate the corresponding steps with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior members of the Israeli cabinet.
Coinciding with Kushner’s visit to Israel, a joint statement was published by the foreign ministers of UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, condemning Israel’s rejection to the Trump Board of Peace’s Gaza roadmap, saying it undermined efforts to secure a lasting peace.
The ministers said the plan had been accepted by Palestinian factions and provided for the decommissioning of weapons alongside Israeli withdrawals, deployment of the ISF, transfer of governance to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and reconstruction, adding that Israel’s rejection means it now bears ‘responsibility for obstructing the efforts to bring peace in Gaza’ and the wider Palestinian territories.
Hamas political leader Khalil al-Hayya participated in the discussions alongside Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali al-Thawadi, and a senior Turkish official, while the Board of Peace delegation included the high representative Nickolay Mladenov, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, along with senior advisors Aryeh Lightstone and Liran Tancman.
During the meeting, Hamas officials confirmed their cooperation in recovering the bodies of the deceased Israeli hostages and requested that their commitment to disarmament also be conveyed to President Donald Trump.
The Board of Peace maintains that disarmament is not subject to negotiation and must begin before Israel implements reciprocal measures in the enclave, as Kushner informed Hamas leaders that verified progress would lead to US efforts to ensure Israel facilitates the deployment of the International Stabilisation Force, begins reconstruction in the Rafah sector, and discusses initial troop withdrawals.
Hamas leadership said they are prepared to transfer the Gaza governance to a Palestinian technocratic government and pledged to refrain from interference once the new administration began operations.
While Hamas officials praised the role of the Trump administration in reaching the ceasefire agreement, they also expressed frustration regarding continued Israeli strikes and alleged failures to implement the first phase of the agreement.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi informed Kushner that the regional stability would depend on the stabilisation of Gaza, citing the enclave as a primary source of recent regional tensions.
Hamas released a statement following the meeting, stating that the delegation reviewed the latest political and field developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, pointing to the daily violations committed by the Israeli occupation, its disregard for the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement and President Trump’s plan, and its declared rejection of the roadmap.
“The delegation also provided a detailed briefing on the developments in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Israeli prisons, describing the occupation’s actions as a dangerous and destructive policy that requires serious attention at both the regional and international levels,” the statement said.
According to the statement, the Hamas delegation included Mohammed Darwish, head of the Shura Council, Khaled Meshaal, head of Hamas abroad, Zaher Jabarin, head of Hamas in the West Bank, Dr Basem Naim, head of the Arab and Islamic Relations office, and Dr Ghazi Hamad, a member of the movement’s political leadership.
Meanwhile, a political source told Al Jazeera that Kushner affirmed to Hamas leadership that President Trump was determined to proceed with his plan regarding the Gaza Strip, and the United States rejected any plans to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip.
According to the source, the Hamas leadership briefed Kushner in detail on Israel’s violations of the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, while Kushner advised the Hamas leadership not to rely on the results of the Israeli elections, and that Israel is united with the US on its position regarding the Strip.
The Prisoners’ Affairs Authority has marked 1,000 days of prolonged isolation, systematic violations, and the denial of Palestinian prisoners’ basic rights to communicate with the outside world, as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) remains barred from visiting detainees and independently monitoring their conditions.
On June 3, 2026, Israel’s Supreme Court unanimously struck down a government policy that prohibited ICRC representatives from visiting Palestinian prisoners, yet despite the ruling, the ban remains in force.
Since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces have detained more than 24,600 Palestinians including some 1,900 children, while approximately 9,400 Palestinians are held in Israeli prisons, some without charge.
Pope Leo called for an end to hostilities against Palestinians in the occupied territory amid escalating attacks by Israeli settlers, and a blockade gripping the West Bank village of Qusra.
“I renew my appeal for an end to the repeated violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank, the Pope said.
Following midday prayers at his residence in Castel Gandolfo just outside Rome, Pope Leo added: I urgently ask the international community to take action so as to advance the two-state solution, for a fair and lasting peace.”
Politico reported that a $100,000 Israeli-funded campaign had been launched to promote content supportive of Israel’s narrative in Gaza and influence how artificial systems, including ChatGPT and Perplexity, respond to questions about Gaza and the Israel Army.
The campaign reportedly involved producing more than 12 pieces of strategically optimised content, designed to increase their visibility in the sources used by AI models when generating responses.
Politico’s investigation found that both ChatGPT and Perplexity cited campaign-linked material in responses concerning Gaza, noting the initiative was carried out through public-relations and advertising firms working on behalf of the Israeli government’s advertising agency.
Kushner is allegedly due to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu again on Monday, along with ministers, to discuss progression of the Board of Peace’s plan in Gaza Strip, attempt to reduce the attacks, and bring forward construction efforts along with the disarmament of Hamas.
