President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss future plans for Gaza and the US-backed ceasefire deal.
Despite lacking a formal role in the Trump administration, Kushner has been acting as an advisor to US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and has been very involved in the negotiations and discussions on Gaza, a place he once said could have “very valuable” waterfront property.
Kushner and Netanyahu were joined by Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Aryeh Lightstone, who has also served as an advisor to Witkoff. There have been no public comments about the meeting, but it came as the US is pushing for the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution that would give a US-led body governance over Gaza and pave the way for the deployment of an international force to the Palestinian territory.
Little progress has been made on deploying an international force, as countries willing to participate seek clarity on what their troops will be doing and don’t want to end up in a situation where they’re fighting Hamas. Israel has also rejected the idea of Turkey being involved.
According to a report from Israel Hayom, the US military-led task force operating in southern Israel has been in contact with leaders of Israeli-backed militias and gangs operating in the Israeli-occupied side of Gaza.
The largest group Israel is backing is a gang led by Yasser Abu Shabab, who admitted to looting aid trucks in 2024. Some members of the Abu Shabab gang, which is based in southern Gaza, have ties to ISIS, according to Israeli officials and Israeli media.
The Israel Hayom report said that the US has made contact with Abu Shabab and that it’s considering using his gang and the other groups to “maintain order” in the Strip. Any effort by the Israeli-backed militias to assert authority in the Hamas-controlled areas of Gaza would likely lead to clashes between Palestinians.
Kushner and Netanyahu were also expected to discuss the fate of an estimated 150 Hamas militants who are trapped in Israeli-occupied territory in Rafah, southern Gaza. The US has reportedly been pushing for an arrangement that would involve the fighters being granted safe passage to the Hamas-controlled side of Gaza if they don’t bring their weapons.
Kushner has also suggested the idea of allowing reconstruction in only the Israeli-controlled side of Gaza as a way to pressure Hamas to disarm, but this plan has received pushback from Arab states who fear that such an arrangement could lead to a permanent Israeli occupation.
