US tells Hamas it wants 'real efforts and not just words' on disarmament
Washington wants “real efforts and not just words” from Hamas on disarmament, a source with direct knowledge told Axios, after leaders of the terrorist group met with U.S. President Donald Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner in Egypt on Sunday.
Hamas used the meeting to reaffirm its commitment to demilitarizing the Gaza Strip under the roadmap with Trump’s Board of Peace, the source said. “We thanked them for the commitment, but we want to see real efforts and not just words,” the source added.
The source described the 90-minute meeting as “very productive.” Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and board senior advisers Aryeh Lightstone and Liran Tancman joined Kushner.
Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya attended alongside Egyptian intelligence head Hassan Rashad, Qatari diplomat Ali al-Thawadi and an unnamed senior Turkish official.
Kushner was said to have told al-Hayya there was no room for negotiation on disarmament. He warned that “the bar is high” because Israel does not trust Hamas to lay down its weapons, the source said.
The Hamas leader claimed the terrorists were ready to cede power and not interfere once the Palestinian technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) begins operating, according to the source.
If the terrorist group begins disarming, Israel’s “corresponding steps” would include allowing the International Stabilization Force to deploy in Gaza, enabling reconstruction to begin in the Rafah area and discussing the initial withdrawal of troops, the source said.
Kushner is expected to visit Israel on Monday and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu has rejected the Board of Peace’s 15-point roadmap for implementing Trump’s Gaza plan, objecting to its provisions linking an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip to the phased decommissioning of Hamas and other terrorist groups’ weapons.
The premier has insisted that Jerusalem will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, calling for “real disarmament, not fictitious disarmament.”
On Saturday, violence on the Gaza front escalated after an Israel Defense Forces tank drove over an explosive charge planted by Hamas in the southern Strip. There were no injuries in the incident, which took place during Givati Infantry Brigade operations in the “Yellow Line area,” the military said. No further details were provided.
In a separate incident the same day, Israeli troops killed a pair of terrorists in Gaza who crossed the Yellow Line in an attempt to sabotage IDF equipment, the army said.
The soldiers opened fire and eliminated the threat, said the IDF, which labeled it a “grave” violation of the ceasefire terms.
On Thursday, the IDF targeted and killed Hudhaifa Khaled Suleiman Qawari, a company commander in the Khan Yunis Brigade of Hamas’s “military” wing.
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US envoy Jared Kushner met with Hamas leaders in Cairo to discuss the disarmament of the Gaza Strip. The meeting, described as "very productive," focused on Hamas's commitment to demilitarizing Gaza under Trump's Board of Peace roadmap. Kushner emphasized that Washington wants "real efforts and not just words" from Hamas, stating that "the bar is high" due to Israeli distrust. Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya affirmed readiness to cede power once the Palestinian technocratic National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) is operational. If Hamas disarms, Israel's corresponding steps would include deploying an International Stabilization Force in Gaza, enabling reconstruction, and discussing initial troop withdrawal. The meeting occurred amidst recent escalations, including an IDF tank hitting a Hamas explosive and Israeli troops killing two terrorists in Gaza.
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