JERUSALEM, Aug 17: US Middle East negotiator Jared Kushner met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss efforts to advance a Gaza ceasefire, following more than two hours of talks with Hamas leadership in Egypt.
The meeting came after Netanyahu rejected a 15-point, US-backed road map aimed at moving the truce process forward. The plan includes Hamas disarmament, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and steps towards reconstruction and future governance of the territory.
Hamas has said it accepts the proposed road map and urged the United States and mediators to press Israel to agree to the plan. Israel, however, has maintained that Hamas must fully disarm before Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.
Kushner held talks on Sunday with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt, focusing on disarmament and implementation of the proposed framework. Officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey also participated in the discussions.
According to Hamas, al-Hayya demanded that Israel halt attacks on Gaza and withdraw to the so-called "yellow line" before the ceasefire plan is implemented. Israeli forces currently control around 60 per cent of the Gaza Strip, according to officials.
Former British prime minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov also attended Kushner's meeting with Netanyahu, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
Regional powers have increased pressure on Israel to support the proposed framework. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia and other countries issued a joint statement urging the US and the Board of Peace to take concrete measures to prevent obstruction of the plan.
Under the proposed road map, Hamas would hand over its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with administering Gaza. However, Hamas has linked the surrender of its heavier weapons to progress towards the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The plan also envisages a pathway towards Palestinian self-determination and statehood, an idea opposed by Netanyahu's current government.
Until an agreement is reached, key elements of the ceasefire plan, including reconstruction efforts and the deployment of international forces, remain on hold.
Netanyahu is also facing domestic political pressure ahead of Israel's October 27 election, with members of his coalition advocating a tougher approach towards Gaza.
