Kushner Warns Hamas to Disarm or Face Israeli Military Operation in Gaza

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner delivered a stark ultimatum to Hamas on Monday. He warned that the terrorist group must honor its commitments to disarm in Gaza or face an Israeli military operation to “finish the job.” Kushner made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

Kushner said he had held high-stakes diplomatic meetings in Egypt and Israel over the previous 48 hours, aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace roadmap. Fighting and disagreements between Israel and Hamas have persisted. Reuters also reported on Monday that Israel has carried out air strikes and seized more territory in Gaza despite an October ceasefire, and that Hamas has refused to give up its weapons.

Kushner first met with Hamas in Cairo, together with the National Committee, the new technocratic Palestinian government that is set to take over control. He told Yingst that the group reaffirmed its commitment to Trump’s 20-point peace plan and to a “15-point roadmap that we’ve been working on with them for the last four months, where they commit to giving up their weapons.” He added, “Time will tell whether that’s going to be implemented,” and said Washington feels it could be “very close to knowing, and we’re making a lot of progress towards trying to get to the next steps.”

Kushner framed the consequences of non-compliance in direct terms. “If they don’t follow through now on their commitment, everyone will see that they’re not genuine about peace, and then Israel will have a lot more support from the U.S. and others to go and finish the job in the appropriate way,” he said. He described the Cairo meeting as only his second known face-to-face meeting with the group. He said, “They said all the right things, but obviously, it’s very, very hard to trust, you know, a terrorist organization that committed these terrible atrocities,” adding, “we’re going to give them a chance to perform.” He also said, “It’s going to have to be based on actions and steps, and I hope it will be true.”

The U.S.-led “Board of Peace” proposal centers on a phased ceasefire, the demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli troop withdrawal, Palestinian technocratic governance and international reconstruction efforts. On Monday, Kushner also traveled to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the report, the central sticking point in those talks remains the timeline for executing the roadmap, which Romans 12:18 frames as a call to live at peace with everyone as far as it depends on you.

Israel’s position is that it requires full demilitarization before withdrawing further or allowing reconstruction. Hamas insists that withdrawal and disarmament must happen in parallel.

Source: Read the original report