Trump Envoy Kushner Says Hamas Disarmament Could Begin in 30 Days

U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner said on Monday, August 17, 2026, that progress toward disarming Hamas and advancing a Gaza peace plan could begin within 30 days. The timeline emerged following discussions in Tel Aviv and rare direct talks in Egypt between Kushner and Hamas leadership, marking a fresh diplomatic push in the region.

Kushner outlined the prospective timeframe during an interview with Fox News while visiting Israel. “We could be seeing progress… in as little as 30 days, hopefully starting to take some of the weapons out, and hopefully, you know, filling in some of the tunnels as well,” he told the network.

Verification and Disarmament Supervision

The diplomatic push follows an agreement between Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that an American general will verify the disarmament process, according to a senior Israeli official cited by AFP. Netanyahu has insisted that there will be no Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip until the decommissioning process is fully realized.

The two sides “agreed that no redeployment or reconstruction would take place in the Gaza Strip before Hamas is disarmed throughout Gaza,” the senior Israeli official stated, adding that the initial step toward demilitarization involves Hamas handing over its weapons for decommissioning under the supervision of an American general.

Under a roadmap agreed to by Hamas on July 30, the decommissioning of weapons is set to be supervised by the International Stabilisation Force, a nascent unit led by U.S.

Divergent Views and Board of Peace Implementation

While Hamas has pledged to hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian governing body—an arrangement that drew skepticism from Netanyahu—President Trump hailed the commitment as a breakthrough.

Photo: thehindu.com

An official with Trump’s “Board of Peace,” which is tasked with implementing the deal, clarified that “every weapon collected will be fully decommissioned so it cannot be used again.” The official emphasized that Israel “retains its full right of self-defence,” adding that “if Hamas resorts to terror, violence or attempts to rearm, Israel will retain the right to act accordingly.” Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is also among the Board of Peace members participating in the diplomatic talks alongside Kushner.

During negotiations in Egypt, Kushner demanded that Hamas provide proof of its disarmament and renounce any future governance role in the Palestinian territory—the group’s direct talks since its October 7, 2023, attack against Israel initiated the ongoing war.

A Hamas official confirmed that the group, represented during the meetings by its new leader Khalil al-Hayya, reiterated its commitment to the Gaza plan while pressing for increased pressure on Netanyahu.