TEL AVIV, August 18. /Dunyo IA/. U.S. President’s envoy Jared Kushner urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take “small steps” in the Gaza Strip to test Hamas’ readiness to begin disarmament, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing “Axios.”

The four-hour meeting took place after the envoy held talks with Hamas representatives as well as Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo. During the meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu expressed serious doubts about Hamas’ willingness to give up its weapons and questioned why the U.S. delegation had held talks with the group.

Jared Kushner said Washington considers it important to hear directly from Hamas about its readiness to fulfil its commitments to demilitarize. According to him, further steps will depend primarily on the group’s disarmament.

Under the U.S. plan, Hamas would hand over its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic government, which would then transfer them to an International Stabilization Force for destruction. Washington stressed that reconstruction of the Gaza Strip will not begin until the disarmament process is completed.

The special envoy also said the U.S. would not restrict Israel’s right to self-defence in case of an imminent threat. At the same time, the sides agreed to establish a deconfliction mechanism to monitor violations and emerging threats. –

The sides also agreed to establish two working groups – one on the demilitarization of Gaza and another on the humanitarian situation. The Israeli prime minister also committed to taking steps to improve humanitarian conditions, particularly regarding water and sanitation.

The talks took place amid political tensions in Israel ahead of the October election. Benjamin Netanyahu has faced opposition criticism over possible concessions on Gaza and, according to media reports, has shown caution toward the U.S. plan.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this week called on Israel to halt airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, saying that Hamas had agreed to lay down its weapons. The U.S. administration clarified that the call referred to strikes that are not related to imminent threats.