Temporary US veto on Gaza Strip bombing... and 'positive' progress in disarmament negotiations

Gaza – Agencies: US President Donald Trump stated in an interview with Fox News that Israel should not launch attacks on the Gaza Strip at present, pointing to positive progress in the issue of disarming the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and said that Washington has special relations with the movement. Regarding the Israeli elections, Trump said he believes it is more appropriate for him to stay away from them, but he did not rule out supporting one of the candidates. Trump’s comments came as Jared Kushner, the US president’s son-in-law and special envoy, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday as part of US efforts to advance the implementation of the American peace plan for Gaza, which Netanyahu has so far rejected. Kushner had met on Sunday with leaders from Hamas in Egypt before heading to Israel. In late July, the Palestinian movement agreed to a US roadmap aimed at launching the second phase of the peace plan, which stipulates its disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip, over which it controls more than 60% of its territory. Netanyahu, however, officially rejected the document, calling for the genuine disarmament of Hamas. Sources, who requested anonymity, said that during his meeting with Hamas leadership members, Kushner emphasized the necessity of disarming the movement and called for verifiable measures. The sources added that Kushner also stressed that Hamas would have no role in governing Gaza in the future. Following its meeting with Kushner, Hamas stated that it had called on the brotherly mediators and the Peace Council to fulfill their responsibilities, compel the occupation to implement all its commitments in the first phase, end all violations, halt killings and incursions, approve the roadmap for the second phase of President Trump’s plan, and begin setting an implementation timeline. A Hamas official, who requested anonymity, said that Hamas is awaiting the US administration’s response regarding Israel’s position on the agreement. He added that Hamas reaffirmed the movement and factions’ commitment to the roadmap agreement proposed by the Peace Council, and that the movement is serious about implementing what it has committed to in substance, not just in form, whether by restricting and storing weapons or relinquishing governance, and that it is prepared to participate in elections. Kushner also met with representatives from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, the mediator countries in the ceasefire agreement concerning Gaza, as well as Nikolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza in the Peace Council established by Trump to implement the agreement, according to Al-Qahera Al-Nahar TV. Kushner also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Sunday in the city of Alamein and other officials from the mediator countries, while Hamas Political Bureau head Khalil al-Hayya met with Egyptian General Intelligence Service head Hassan Rashad.