United States (US) envoy Jared Kushner has said that the administration President Donald Trump’s administration will block reconstruction in the beseiged Gaza Strip until demilitarisation occurs.
Kushner was taking part in an interview with an international media outlet following a four-hour meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team. The talks aimed to address implementation details of a roadmap for Gaza.
“We have a plan to rebuild Gaza, but we will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until demilitarisation occurs,” Kushner said. “Nobody wants to put more money into a place that’s gone on for so long if it’s just going to be taken over by terrorists or blown up again.”
Hamas previously agreed to disarm under a US-backed proposal that outlined Israeli withdrawal and an end of genocide on the Palestinian territory. Israel rejected the proposal earlier in the month, demanding full demilitarisation before making concessions.
Kushner addressed Israeli security during the interview, stating the US will not limit military actions by Israel. “We’re also not going to restrict Israel’s right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats,” Kushner said.
Near-daily strikes by Israel have killed at least 1,265 people in Gaza since a ceasefire came into effect last year. The total death toll from Israel’s genocide in Gaza has reached 73,399 Palestinians since October 2023.
Earlier on Monday, Trump commented on the situation from Washington. “Israelis should not be striking in Gaza. Hamas agreed to lay down their weapons,” Trump said.
Over the past three years, the US provided Israel with approximately $25 billion in military aid. Washington also defended the Netanyahu government in international bodies and imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) officials investigating atrocities in Gaza.
Kushner outlined timelines for removing weapons and filling tunnels over the coming months. “We could be seeing progress, you know, as much as in as little as 30 days, hopefully on starting to take some of the weapons out, and hopefully filling in some of the tunnels as well in the next 60 to 90 days as well,” Kushner said.
Kushner framed the arrangement as beneficial to Israel regardless of Hamas’s actions.
“For Israel, we think this is a win-win situation because if Hamas actually gives over the weapons and the tunnels willingly over the next 60 to 90 days, that obviously would be the elimination of a security threat for Israel,” Kushner said.
He added, “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 US and others to go in.”
Kushner described those talks as cordial while noting the US will evaluate Hamas through actions on the ground.
