Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Peace Council Plan: Kushner to Visit Israel

Special American envoy Jared Kushner and CEO of the Peace Council for Gaza Nikolay Mladenov are planning to arrive in Israel to discuss with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the activation of US President Donald Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza. This was reported by Barak Ravid. There is a possibility that the two will arrive next week, though a source familiar with the details noted that this is not yet final.

Prime Minister Netanyahu stated earlier this week that Israel rejects the 15-point document of the Peace Council. At the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting, he emphasized:

"Israel rejects the 15-point document. I heard people saying 'you didn't say it'. So here I am saying it again: Israel rejects the 15-point document. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed."

Senior officials in Trump's Peace Council were quick to push back against the Prime Minister's statement, claiming that Israel is complying with the agreement. "We are looking at actual actions, less at talk and declarations," those officials told ynet. "In practice, Israel has stopped the liquidations and is maintaining the ceasefire."

At the same time, after a period of quiet, Israel's strikes in Gaza have continued for the third consecutive day. The IDF announced that it had eliminated a Hamas company commander in Khan Yunis who was planning terror plots. In Gaza City, another strike occurred, and according to the Ministry of Interior in the Strip, the Gaza District Police Chief, Jamal Abu Kamil, was killed.

In a security discussion regarding the targeted killings, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated: "The open-fire regulations in Gaza have not changed and will not change. IDF soldiers have our full backing to thwart any threat to them and our citizens. This is the policy and it is being implemented on the ground." A security source said this evening that Israel informed the Americans it would continue to thwart Hamas members involved in the October 7 massacre as well as emerging threats. According to the source, Washington accepts the Israeli approach. Simultaneously, Jerusalem decided to increase coordination with the American headquarters in Kiryat Gat and agreed to moderate activity in the Gaza Strip.

If Kushner arrives in Israel, he is expected to raise the situation in Judea and Samaria during his meeting with Netanyahu, as well as American concerns regarding settler violence. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee responded this morning to the siege imposed by Jewish rioters on a Palestinian family in the village of Qusra, calling them "Israeli terrorists."

Kushner also referred today to the sixth anniversary of the "Abraham Accords":

"Six years ago, President Trump launched the 'Abraham Accords' and opened a new chapter of peace, partnership and prosperity in the Middle East. Many said it was inconceivable. But through courageous leadership, consistency and a small group of people who were willing to challenge old assumptions, we proved that the impossible can be achieved."

President Isaac Herzog wrote in response to Kushner: "The sixth anniversary of the 'Abraham Accords', signed thanks to your team under the leadership of President Trump, is an important milestone for peace in the Middle East. This is a time to pause and reflect on the extraordinary partnerships we have built across the region. I believe with all my heart that this is only the beginning; now is the time for all of us to act to expand this circle of peace across the Middle East, for the benefit of all the peoples of the region."