Kushner-Netanyahu Gaza ceasefire talks

A marathon meeting between U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday left the fate of the Gaza ceasefire unclear, with officials signaling moderate optimism but no concrete commitment by Israel to the latest U.S.-proposed plan. Hamas has already agreed to the proposal. American negotiators appeared to acquiesce to Israeli demands that Hamas disarmament must come before any reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian enclave. They did not publicly signal that Israel had made any commitments to withdraw from the 60% of Gaza that Israeli troops currently occupy. The talks came days after Netanyahu rejected the 15-point, U.S.-backed road map, saying there would be no withdrawal without disarmament. A day earlier, Kushner met for two hours with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Board of Peace Director Nickolay Mladenov were also in the meeting with Netanyahu. Israel and the board agreed to establish two working groups, one on disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza and another on public health. Several regional powers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates issued a statement condemning Israel's rejection of the road map. The road map entails Hamas handing over weapons to a Palestinian technocratic committee and a credible pathway toward Palestinian statehood, which Israel's current government rejects. Netanyahu faces a challenging election on Oct. 27.