3 Steps: Kushner Reveals Hamas Disarmament Plan to Netanyahu

Jared Kushner, son-in-law and advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, revealed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting on Monday in Jerusalem the path that the process of disarming the Hamas movement in Gaza will follow.

Kushner explained to Netanyahu that the disarmament process would proceed in three phases: in the first phase, Hamas would hand over its weapons to a Palestinian technocratic government; in the second phase, the Palestinian government would transfer the weapons to an international stability force; and in the third phase, this international force would destroy the weapons.

A U.S. official told Axios that Kushner informed Netanyahu that the United States wants Israel to take "small steps" in the Gaza Strip to test how serious Hamas is about beginning the disarmament process.

The source noted that the meeting took place amid deep skepticism from Netanyahu regarding the U.S. plan for Gaza, just before elections scheduled for October—conditions that make the Israeli leader hesitant to make major concessions on this politically sensitive issue.

According to the site, while the meeting helped clear misunderstandings, address some of Netanyahu’s concerns, and reach a shared understanding on how to move forward, it also crystallized remaining disagreements and clearly showed how difficult progress will be in the near term.

During the meeting, Netanyahu expressed strong doubts about Hamas’s commitment to disarmament and questioned why Kushner had met with Hamas leaders in Egypt on Sunday.

A U.S. official said Kushner clarified to Netanyahu the importance of listening directly to them to determine whether they were ready to move forward with the disarmament process, referring to Hamas leaders.

A U.S. official quoted Kushner as telling Netanyahu: "The last time I met with Steve Witkoff and Hamas leaders, it led to the release of all the hostages"; he was referring to the release—last year—of the remaining hostages held during the October 7, 2023 attacks.

A U.S. official and another source familiar with the meeting said the political climate in Israel ahead of the October elections had created significant suspicion among the Israeli side, particularly given opposition criticism of Netanyahu for making concessions on Gaza.

The U.S. official and the other source told Axios that much of the meeting focused on explaining the peace plan, clarifying misconceptions, and addressing Netanyahu’s concerns.

During the meeting, Netanyahu presented Kushner with two public opinion polls: one showing that most Israelis oppose rebuilding Gaza before the area is disarmed, while the other revealed that most Israelis support continuing strikes against imminent threats coming from Gaza.

The U.S. official said Kushner informed Netanyahu that the United States does not expect Israel to refrain from acting against imminent threats posed by Hamas, emphasizing that the Trump peace team’s plan stipulates that reconstruction efforts should not begin until the disarmament process is complete.

According to the site, Netanyahu instructed the heads of Israel’s military intelligence and internal security agency (Shin Bet) to brief Kushner and his team on violations committed by Hamas.

While Kushner and Netanyahu were holding their meeting, Trump told Fox News that he wants Israel to halt its airstrikes in Gaza. A Council for Peace official said Trump was referring specifically to strikes not targeting imminent threats.

How to define an "imminent threat" remains a core point of contention between the Council for Peace and the Israeli government; a council official stated this issue still needs resolution.

In this context, a U.S. official said Kushner and Netanyahu agreed to establish a "de-escalation mechanism" (conflict prevention) in the Gaza Strip, tasked with monitoring violations and addressing Israeli concerns about emerging threats, in order to prevent on-the-ground escalation.

The official said: "If Israelis detect any action by Hamas that could constitute an emerging threat, they will inform the de-escalation mechanism, which will then raise the issue with Hamas; in this way, Hamas will understand that we are monitoring their movements."

The U.S. official stated that Netanyahu committed to taking steps to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, especially regarding water and sewage. Meanwhile, Kushner and Netanyahu agreed to form two working groups: one focused on disarming Gaza, and the other on the humanitarian situation.

The official said: "The gaps with the Israelis are not large, and neither of us relies on trust in Hamas. But we believe we can begin taking concrete steps."

He added: "True, there is a lot of exaggeration and fear-mongering as part of Israel’s political climate, but the actual transfer of weapons by Hamas will be the first sign of genuine commitment."

In a statement released after the meeting, Netanyahu’s office mentioned the working groups and emphasized that disarmament must be completed "before reconstruction begins."

Meanwhile, a Council for Peace official said the meeting was "long, deep, and highly productive. We have agreed with Netanyahu on a path forward. The Israelis will give this step a chance; now it falls to Hamas to prove whether they truly intend to commit to it."