US envoy Jared Kushner says the Gaza peace plan could begin showing progress within 30 days, with early steps focused on Hamas disarmament and closing militant tunnels. His comments followed talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders as Washington tries to revive a stalled roadmap.
Hamas disarmament
Kushner said he hoped the first visible progress could involve removing some weapons from Hamas within roughly 30 days, followed by work to fill or disable tunnels over the following 60 to 90 days. He made the comments after nearly four hours of talks with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Disarmament remains the central obstacle. Israel insists Hamas must fully surrender its military capabilities before Israeli forces withdraw or large-scale reconstruction begins. Hamas, however, has tied implementation to Israeli withdrawal and an end to military operations.
Gaza roadmap
The US-backed roadmap calls for Hamas and other armed groups to give up weapons, Gaza to move toward civilian governance and Israeli forces to withdraw in phases as security benchmarks are met. An International Stabilization Force is also expected to support the transition and oversee parts of the demilitarization process.
Hamas agreed in principle to the roadmap in late July, although the group has avoided describing its position simply as unconditional disarmament. Its implementation remains tied to reciprocal Israeli commitments.
Netanyahu talks
Kushner met Netanyahu after holding direct talks with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo, a rare contact between a senior US envoy and Hamas leadership. Both meetings were aimed at narrowing differences over the next phase of the Gaza plan.
The Jerusalem meeting was described as lengthy and constructive, and officials said the sides agreed to continue working on a path forward. However, neither Israel nor Hamas publicly accepted the other's sequencing demands, meaning there was no final breakthrough.
Two working groups were established to address disarmament and public health, reflecting an attempt to turn broad political commitments into practical steps.
Gaza rebuild
Reconstruction is one of the strongest pressure points in the negotiations. Gaza has suffered extensive destruction, but Israel says major rebuilding cannot begin until Hamas is fully demilitarized. American negotiators have signaled support for tying reconstruction to measurable security progress.
That gives the disarmament process direct economic consequences. Progress on weapons decommissioning could unlock reconstruction, humanitarian projects and expanded civilian administration, while failure could leave rebuilding frozen.
Israel pullout
The remaining disagreement over Israeli withdrawal may determine whether Kushner's 30-day timeline proves realistic.
The US plan links Hamas disarmament to a phased Israeli pullback. Hamas wants Israeli forces to withdraw and attacks to stop as the process advances, while Netanyahu has maintained that Israeli troops will not leave until Hamas is fully disarmed.
That sequencing dispute is the core problem. Kushner's comments show that Washington believes practical progress could begin quickly, but optimism should not be confused with an agreement.
The next month will therefore be a test of whether the parties can move from political statements to verified action on weapons, tunnels, military withdrawals and reconstruction.
If even limited disarmament begins, it could provide momentum for the wider Gaza peace plan. If the sequencing dispute remains unresolved, the 30-day window may pass without the breakthrough Washington is seeking.
