Milan, Aug. 17 (LaPresse) – The meeting between US envoy Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lasted more than four hours, during which Donald Trump’s son-in-law urged Netanyahu to move forward with the US president’s ceasefire plan for Gaza, currently stalled, and “not create obstacles”. CNN reports this, citing an Israeli source familiar with the talks. Netanyahu, who rejected the 15-point plan earlier this month, said that making progress on the plan would be “problematic” because of the upcoming Israeli elections scheduled for the end of October, the source told CNN. Seeking to win over the right-wing electorate and trailing in repeated polls, Netanyahu has been reluctant to make concessions on Gaza ahead of the elections. According to CNN, Netanyahu instead told Kushner and Board of Peace director Nickolay Mladenov that Hamas must take the first steps. The two met with Hamas representatives in Egypt on Sunday. Netanyahu has demanded that Hamas fully disarm before Israel begins withdrawing its forces from the Gaza Strip, but Hamas has said it is willing to disarm only if this takes place in parallel with a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Gaza, CNN: “Kushner asked Netanyahu not to create obstacles to the plan”
Milan, Aug. 17 (LaPresse) – The meeting between US envoy Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lasted more than four hours, during which Donald Trump’s son-in-law urged Netanyahu to move forward with the US president’s ceasefire plan for Gaza, currently stalled, and “not create obstacles”. CNN reports this, citing an Israeli source familiar with the talks. Netanyahu, who rejected the 15-point plan earlier this month, said that making progress on the plan would be “problematic” because of the upcoming Israeli elections scheduled for the end of October, the source told CNN. Seeking to win over the right-wing electorate and trailing in repeated polls, Netanyahu has been reluctant to make concessions on Gaza ahead of the elections. According to CNN, Netanyahu instead told Kushner and Board of Peace director Nickolay Mladenov that Hamas must take the first steps. The two met with Hamas representatives in Egypt on Sunday. Netanyahu has demanded that Hamas fully disarm before Israel begins withdrawing its forces from the Gaza Strip, but Hamas has said it is willing to disarm only if this takes place in parallel with a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.