Trump’s envoys push Gaza peace plan as Israel continues strikes

Five Arab countries, along with Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia, criticized Israel's rejection of the plan.

Trump's envoys push Gaza peace plan as Israel continues strikes
Trump's envoys push Gaza peace plan as Israel continues strikes

CAIRO: U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner and his Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, met with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday, Aug. 16, to advance his Gaza peace plan, while Israel continued airstrikes in the enclave despite growing efforts to move the plan forward.

Kushner and Mladenov were expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, a senior Israeli official said. Netanyahu said that Trump’s latest roadmap for peace in Gaza was “unacceptable.”

Israel has raised concerns about a U.S. demand to stop targeted killings of Hamas militants in Gaza, saying the group is rebuilding its forces, according to the Israeli official.

Under the Trump’s proposal, Hamas would disarm while Israeli troops withdraw from the enclave. The plan also calls for Gaza to be rebuilt under a new civilian Palestinian administration.

Israel has resumed airstrikes in Gaza in recent days after reducing its attacks earlier this month. The Israeli military also said that its aircraft struck two Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants in Khan Younis and Nuseirat.

Medics in Gaza said at least five Palestinians were wounded when a strike hit a tent encampment. Medics at Nasser Hospital later said one of those wounded in the Khan Younis strike died from their injuries.

Earlier, Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya met with Egypt’s intelligence chief, Hassan Rashad, in Cairo. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said Al-Hayya would brief mediators about what he described as Israeli violations of the ceasefire.

Five Arab countries, along with Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia, criticized Israel’s rejection of the plan in a joint statement, they said the rejection threatens Trump’s efforts to end the war in Gaza.

Israeli fire has killed ⁠more than ​1,250 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them civilians, since October 2025. It is unclear how many ​of those killed were militants, as Hamas does not usually disclose information about dead fighters.