Disarmament of Hamas could begin in a month: Kushner

• US, Israel agree American general will oversee weapons removal before troop withdrawal, reconstruction
• US envoy presses Hamas to abandon arms, governing role; Palestinian group wants to keep pressure on Israeli PM

JERUSALEM: Progress towards disarming Hamas and implementing a US-backed peace plan for the Gaza Strip could begin within a month, White House envoy Jared Kushner stated on Monday following high-level meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Speaking after two days of diplomacy throughout the region, Kushner expressed cautious optimism that initial steps to demilitarise the enclave could start taking shape soon despite deep scepticism and lingering impasses.

“We could be seeing progress… in as little as 30 days, hopefully starting to take some of the weapons out, and hopefully, you know, filling in some of the tunnels as well,” Kushner informed Fox News while in Tel Aviv.

The projected timeline followed talks in Jerusalem between Kushner and Netanyahu, during which the two sides agreed that an American general would oversee and verify the decommissioning of weapons held by Hamas.

Even so, Netanyahu remained firm that Israeli forces would not withdraw from the Gaza Strip, nor would reconstruction efforts begin, until Hamas is completely disarmed throughout the territory.

A senior Israeli official remarked to journalists that the sides “agreed that no redeployment or reconstruction would take place in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed throughout Gaza”.

The official added that the initial phase requires Hamas to surrender its arms for decommissioning under direct US military oversight.

The understanding represents a fresh attempt by the Trump administration to satisfy Israel after Netanyahu. This person faces a challenging reelection campaign, publicly rejected the latest phase of the US plan earlier this month.

Under an earlier framework agreed to by Hamas on July 30, the disarmament process was to be supervised by the International Stabilisation Force, a newly formed unit slated to deploy to Gaza once fighting abates. As sources indicate in the negotiations.

A Hamas official noted the group, represented by its new leader Khalil al-Hayya, told Kushner it was committed to the Gaza plan and wanted pressure on Netanyahu.

More than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since October, according to Gazan health office-holders.

Israel’s longest-serving prime minister is facing a tough reelection campaign ahead of an Oct 27 vote, that force is commanded by US Army Major General Jasper Jeffers.

An official with the Board of Peace, the initiative organised by Trump to implement the broader settlement, said that every weapon collected under the protocol would be permanently decommissioned.

The official stressed that Israel would retain its full right to self-defence, adding that Israeli forces would reserve the authority to act if Hamas attempts to rearm or launch attacks.

Monday’s gathering in Jerusalem lasted several hours and included other key members of the Board of Peace delegation, among them former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and diplomatic envoy Nickolay Mladenov.

Discussions in Israel came a day after Kushner held direct negotiations in Egypt with senior Hamas officials, including the group’s political leader, Khalil al-Hayya.

During those sessions, Kushner had demanded that Hamas prove it is giving up its weapons and that the group renounce any future role in governing the Palestinian territory. Most Israelis want the war to continue, polls show, and diplomats say it is unlikely Netanyahu would make Gaza concessions before the election.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2026