Trump's Gaza Peace Plan: Jerusalem Talks Establish Disarmament Working Groups but Fail to Secure IDF Withdrawal

Trump's Gaza Peace Plan: Jerusalem Talks Establish Disarmament Working Groups but Fail to Secure IDF Withdrawal

The Trump administration's interventionist diplomatic push to enforce a comprehensive peace plan for the Gaza conflict has reached a critical juncture. On Monday, August 17, 2026, President Donald Trump's special envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, held a marathon, hours-long meeting in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.¹

The high-stakes meeting followed a rare, direct session in El Alamein, Egypt, on Sunday, August 16, between Kushner and Hamas' leader, Khalil al-Hayya, aimed at translating the U.S.-backed roadmap into concrete, verifiable steps.

Key Agreements: Disarmament and Sanitation Working Groups

The meeting between Kushner and Netanyahu—which also included U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov—produced moderate optimism but fell short of a firm Israeli commitment to the broader U.S. plan.

The primary outcome of the talks was an agreement to establish two joint working groups:

1. Security and Demilitarization: Focusing on the disarmament and demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
2. Public Health and Sanitation: Centering on clean water, sanitation, and other critical public health issues affecting both Gaza and Israel.

According to a senior Israeli official, both sides agreed that Gaza's "demilitarization" should start with a Hamas weapons handover supervised by an American military general. They also agreed that no reconstruction of Gaza should begin before Hamas is fully disarmed.

A Board of Peace official summarized the consensus on the desired end-state:

"It was agreed that there will be no IDF redeployment from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed and all of Gaza is demilitarized - every weapon, light and heavy, and every tunnel," the official said. "Israel retains its full right of self-defense: if Hamas resorts to terror, violence, or attempts to rearm, Israel will retain the right to act accordingly."

The Sticking Point: IDF Redeployment and Political Resistance

Despite the agreement on the disarmament process, the meeting made little progress toward fulfilling the broader U.S.-proposed 15-point roadmap, which Netanyahu had forcefully rejected a week earlier.

The primary fault line remains the withdrawal of Israeli forces. While the Board of Peace’s plan requires a phased Israeli withdrawal and the transfer of governing responsibilities to a newly created National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, Netanyahu "made it clear" that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not redeploy from key areas in the immediate future. Israel insists on retaining operational freedom to "continue to thwart" threats.

Furthermore, Hamas has maintained that while it is willing to disarm, laying down its heavy weapons must be contingent on the international recognition of a Palestinian state—a demand that Netanyahu's fragile, right-wing coalition vehemently rejects.

Domestic Pressure and Extremist Rhetoric

Netanyahu's rigid stance is reinforced by intense domestic political pressure ahead of Israel's October elections. Far-right members of his coalition have vociferously opposed any ceasefire or concessions.

During the talks, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly condemned the Board of Peace's efforts. Speaking on a podcast, Ben-Gvir called for the mass emigration of Palestinians from Gaza, declaring, "I see all of Gaza as ours," and advocated for the daily "targeted" killing of dozens of people in Gaza, regardless of whether they pose an active threat, drawing sharp international condemnation.