CAIRO, August 17. /Dunyo IA/. U.S. president’s envoy Jared Kushner met with the Hamas leadership in Egypt and called on the movement to take concrete steps toward disarmament if it expects corresponding action from Israel, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

The meeting was held as part of efforts to implement the peace plan for the Gaza Strip and lasted about 90 minutes. According to sources cited by “Axios,” the talks were “very productive” in terms of securing practical steps by Hamas to fulfil its commitments.

Representatives of the Palestinian movement asked the U.S. envoy to convey to Donald Trump that they remained committed to the agreements. In response, the U.S. side said it “expects concrete action, not just words.”

Jared Kushner stressed that Hamas must take tangible steps toward disarmament if it wants Israel to fulfil its corresponding commitments. In particular, this includes transferring governing authority in Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic government and ensuring that Hamas will have no role in the future governance of the Strip.

The meeting was attended by senior Board of Peace representative Nickolay Mladenov, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the board’s senior advisers Aryeh Lightstone and Liran Tancman. Hamas was represented by movement leader Khalil al-Hayya. The talks also included Egyptian General Intelligence Service chief Hassan Rashad, as well as Qatari and Turkish diplomats.

Following the meeting, Hamas said it agreed to the roadmap for the second phase of Donald Trump’s plan, which envisages a permanent ceasefire, the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, continued humanitarian assistance and the launch of reconstruction efforts. The statement did not specifically mention disarmament.

Jared Kushner is expected to visit Israel today and meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss corresponding steps by the Israeli side. The Israeli prime minister previously said that Israel would not withdraw its forces until Hamas is fully disarmed.

If Hamas begins disarming, Israel’s corresponding steps, according to “Axios,” could include allowing the International Stabilization Force to deploy in Gaza, beginning reconstruction in the Rafah area, discussing an initial withdrawal of Israeli forces, and accelerating humanitarian assistance to the Strip.

It is worth recalling that the Board of Peace was established at the initiative of President Donald Trump in an effort to achieve lasting peace in Gaza. The board’s charter was signed on January 22, 2026, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Its first meeting was held in Washington on February 19. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the meeting and delivered an address.

Photo credit: AFP