Kushner, Hamas delegation in Egypt for Gaza plan talks

CAIRO, Aug 16: Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner discussed the US leader's plan for Gaza with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday, hours after Hamas chief Khalil El-Hayya met with Cairo's spymaster.

Kushner and El-Hayya, both in the Mediterranean city of El-Alamein, held separate talks on the implementation of Trump's post-war plan for Gaza, which 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.

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 Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan 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.�" AFP