Hamas leaders met on Sunday in Egypt with US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner, who is seeking to push the US leader's plan for Gaza rejected by Israel, sources with knowledge of the talks told reporters.
Hamas in the meeting reiterated its commitment to the deal while Kushner pushed for strong disarmament and an end to any future Hamas role in running Gaza, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the diplomatic sensitivities.
Earlier on Sunday Kushner met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, hours after Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya met with Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad to discuss the implementation of Trump's post-war plan for Gaza. The plan has largely been stalled since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was declared last October.
The ceasefire slowed, but never completely stopped, Israeli attacks in the strip, and a recently released roadmap for the next phase of the plan involves two of its thorniest prospects – Hamas's disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Palestinian territory.
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The meeting between Kushner and Sisi "emphasised the need for all parties to fulfill their obligations under the Gaza Strip ceasefire agreement", according to presidential spokesperson Mohamed El-Shennawy.
Kushner is set to travel next to Israel, which publicly rejected the 15-point roadmap after Hamas had already agreed to it.
The Hamas delegation, in a meeting with Rashad, "reaffirmed commitment to completing US President Donald Trump's plan".
Hamas had said in late July that it was ready to hand over its weapons to a nascent Palestinian technical committee set to govern Gaza, as part of the roadmap announced by Trump's Board of Peace.
But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the plan, vowing there would be no withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza until the full disarmament of Hamas.
The foreign ministers of eight Muslim countries on Sunday condemned Israel's rejection the plan.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates said in a joint statement that they "condemn the declared Israeli rejection of the Road Map" and of Palestinian statehood, accusing it of undermining the plan's implementation and the "efforts undertaken to achieve a just and lasting peace".
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A Hamas official had told reporters the talks would cover "the latest developments in the negotiations and the efforts being made to compel Israel to abide by the agreement, which includes the 15-point roadmap, and to begin its implementation".
"The delegation will brief Egyptian officials on Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, and Hayya will emphasise the movement's commitment and readiness to implement the agreement as soon as Israel announces its commitment to it."
Another Hamas source told reporters that a meeting was being arranged between the Hamas delegation, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza Nickolay Mladenov, and US officials during Kushner's visit to Egypt this week to discuss obstacles to the agreement.
The source added that contacts were underway with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators "to compel Israel to abide by the agreement".
(the broadcaster with AFP)
