Inside Kushner's Hamas meeting: What comes next in Gaza
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Add Axios on Google Jared Kushner attends a summit on security guarantees for Ukraine in Paris on Jan. 6. Photo: Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images
Hamas leaders reaffirmed their commitment to disarm and demilitarize Gaza in a meeting with President Trump's adviser Jared Kushner in Egypt on Sunday, according to a source with direct knowledge.
Why it matters: Kushner used the rare direct meeting to press Hamas for tangible steps on disarmament , warning that Israel doesn't trust the group to follow through.
Behind the scenes: Hamas leaders asked Kushner to tell Trump they remained committed to disarming, the source said.
Who was there: Board of Peace high representative Nickolay Mladenov and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is also a member of the board, and Board of Peace senior advisers Aryeh Lightstone and Liran Tancman joined Kushner in the meeting.
Flashback: It was Kushner's first meeting with Hamas leaders since the Gaza agreement was reached last October.
Zoom in: Kushner told Hamas leaders they need to take tangible steps on disarmament if they want Israel to take steps of its own, the source said. Those steps include transferring governing authority to the Palestinian technocratic government and ensuring Hamas has no role in Gaza's future governance.
Friction point: Hamas leaders expressed frustration about Israeli policy in Gaza, including continued strikes, the source said.
What they're saying: Hamas said after the meeting that it had agreed to the roadmap for the second phase of Trump's plan, citing a permanent ceasefire, a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, sustained humanitarian relief and the beginning of reconstruction efforts.
What's next: The Board of Peace wants Hamas to begin decommissioning its weapons and military infrastructure, the source said.
The big picture: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told Kushner much of the region's instability in recent years stemmed from Gaza and that stabilizing Gaza would help the broader region, the source said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details from Kushner's meeting with Hamas leaders, Hamas' statement after the meeting and Kushner's other meetings in Egypt.
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