Egypt reportedly tells US: Hamas disarmament plan cannot advance under current Israeli government

Senior Egyptian officials reportedly told Trump administration officials that efforts to disarm Hamas cannot advance under Israel’s current government and would have to await the formation of a new government following Israel’s Oct. 27 election, Ynet News reported.

The Egyptian officials reportedly argued that policies pursued by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government are strengthening Hamas. The assessment was conveyed during a meeting in Egypt with American officials, including U.S. envoy Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump.

Cairo’s position comes as several Arab states have accused Israel of delaying implementation of Trump’s Gaza plan.

Kushner met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday to discuss a framework for ending the war. Board of Peace Chairman Nikolay Mladenov, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other officials reportedly also participated in the meeting.

Key issues under discussion include the reconstruction of Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip. Following the meeting, Kushner and Netanyahu reportedly agreed that Gaza reconstruction and an Israeli military withdrawal would not proceed before Hamas is disarmed.

The Hamas terrorist organization, which launched the Gaza war with its Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on southern Israel, has so far refused to disarm.

Several Muslim-majority countries, meanwhile, have continued to blame Israel for the lack of diplomatic progress. In a joint statement issued a day before the Kushner-Netanyahu meeting, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia, Qatar and Jordan said Israel “bears responsibility for delaying peace efforts in Gaza and the Palestinian territories.” The countries warned that rejecting the Gaza plan could jeopardize Trump’s efforts to end the war.

Last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu formally rejected a 15-point proposal from the Board of Peace to end the war, objecting in particular to provisions calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Netanyahu has instead insisted on the complete disarmament of Hamas.

“The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed. And when I say the disarming of Hamas, it means heavy weaponry, lighter weaponry, all weaponry. And we are talking about genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament.”

Before meeting with Netanyahu, Kushner also met with senior Hamas officials in Egypt. Citing unnamed sources, Saudi news outlet Al Arabiya reported that Kushner and Mladenov rejected a Hamas proposal concerning the storage of its weapons. According to the sources, both backed the position that Hamas must surrender its weapons and dismantle its military infrastructure in Gaza before reconstruction or an Israeli withdrawal can take place.

“Kushner confirmed to Hamas leaders that the organization’s weapons would leave the Gaza Strip and would not be stored there,” the sources said. However, the statement has not been independently confirmed. If accurate, the report would contradict previous reports that Hamas operatives could be permitted to store their weapons inside the Gaza Strip.

Israel has rejected that proposal and has insisted that Hamas’ weapons be transferred outside the group’s reach, beyond Gaza.