The meeting between White House adviser Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused almost entirely on the Gaza issue. The Americans want to begin talks on the second phase of the Trump plan, and remove the obstacle posed by the terrorists trapped in tunnels in southern Gaza.
Netanyahu and Kushner agreed that the issue would be resolved jointly, and that Israel would not take significant action without first informing Washington. In practical terms, this means that although Israel knows where the terrorists are hiding, it will refrain from striking the tunnel or killing them outright, in order to avoid endangering the fragile cease-fire. One of the possible solutions raised was to allow the trapped terrorists to emerge without their weapons into areas under Hamas control.
Israel is insisting that the terrorists surrender their weapons, viewing that step as symbolic of Hamas's eventual disarmament. In indirect talks between the Americans and Hamas, this idea has been placed on the table. Hamas has not rejected it outright but has demanded that Israel completely halt all strikes. According to Arab reports, the number of terrorists still trapped in the tunnels is likely under 200, and possibly fewer than 100.
For Washington, resolving this issue is vital, as it represents a key obstacle to launching the second phase of the process. The meeting also touched on a second matter, the four hostages still held by terrorist organizations in Gaza, which are required to be returned under the Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.
Israel's position is that there will be no progress toward phase two, and even phase one, including reopening the Rafah crossing, will not be completed until all hostages are returned. Arab media reports claim that the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization holds two of the bodies and is refusing to release them without concessions. This information has not been confirmed by Israel. Israeli intelligence assessments indicate that Hamas could immediately return at least one body and a second within a short time, and that it knows the whereabouts of the other two but is deliberately delaying under the pretext of "searches" requiring heavy engineering equipment.
The discussion also addressed Israel's veto on any Turkish participation in the framework that will oversee Gaza as part of a future multinational force. Turkey has ignored this position and publicly claimed that it has already recruited a brigade of 2,000 soldiers for the mission, but Israel considers this a red line, with the Americans accepting Israel's stance. The composition of the international force remains unclear, as—according to Israel Hayom's reporting—no countries besides Turkey have agreed to send troops into Hamas-controlled territory before the terrorist organization disarms.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to Emirati ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, confirmed this position in a speech at the Abu Dhabi Strategic Forum, saying: "The United Arab Emirates does not yet see a clear framework for the stabilization force. Under these circumstances, it is unlikely that we will participate in such a mission."
