Kushner Meets Netanyahu After Hamas Visit Amid Gaza Disarmament Dispute

US envoy Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, following his encounter with a Hamas leader, as part of efforts to address the Gaza conflict. Netanyahu has openly dismissed a US-supported proposal that would require Hamas to disarm in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. This phased agreement, suggested by President Donald Trump, includes an 'International Stabilisation Force' collaborating with a new Palestinian police unit to maintain security. Nevertheless, Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, asserts that military withdrawal will only occur after Hamas and other armed factions are fully disarmed. Diplomats believe significant concessions from Israel are improbable before the October 27 national election, where Netanyahu's coalition is lagging in polls. Kushner was accompanied by Nickolay Mladenov, Trump's Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, who facilitated last month's disarmament agreement and is spearheading the implementation of Trump's original 20-point plan to conclude the conflict, which was agreed upon by Israel and Hamas last year. Details of Kushner's visit to the Hamas leader remain undisclosed, and Netanyahu's office has yet to respond to inquiries for comment.