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Kushner’s Talks with Israel, Hamas End without Breakthrough on Trump Gaza Plan

FILE - Jared Kushner waits to walk into the ring after the lightweight championship bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - Jared Kushner waits to walk into the ring after the lightweight championship bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
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Kushner’s Talks with Israel, Hamas End without Breakthrough on Trump Gaza Plan

FILE - Jared Kushner waits to walk into the ring after the lightweight championship bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
FILE - Jared Kushner waits to walk into the ring after the lightweight championship bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner on Monday wrapped up two days of meetings with Israeli and Hamas leaders to break a stalemate over the US president's Gaza plan, but there were no signs of an imminent breakthrough as both sides dug in.  

Kushner met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel a day after meeting Hamas' political leader in Egypt in a bid to revive the plan, which has stalled as Israel has carried out air strikes and seized more territory in Gaza despite an October ceasefire, while Hamas has refused to give up its weapons. 

Trump last month announced that Hamas had agreed to lay down its arms in phases, under a 15-point roadmap put forward by his so-called Board of Peace to advance the ‌president's plan, as Israel's ‌military withdraws from Gaza.  

Hamas said it agreed to the roadmap but implementation ‌depended ⁠on Israel first ⁠meeting its own commitments, including halting attacks and withdrawing. 

NO BREAKTHROUGH IN JERUSALEM 

Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition is trailing in Israeli opinion polls ahead of an October national election, earlier this month rejected the roadmap, insisting Israel would not withdraw until Hamas is completely disarmed. 

An Israeli official indicated that there was no breakthrough in the meeting, saying Netanyahu had made it clear the military would not withdraw from a demarcation line set out in an October ceasefire and would continue to carry out operations in Gaza as it sees necessary, including targeting those who took part in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered ⁠the war. 

Hamas has demanded Israel adhere to the ceasefire, while both sides have disputed ‌the sequencing of how Trump's plan to end the war would be ‌implemented. 

More than 1,200 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since October, according to Gazan health officials and ‌the Israeli military. 

Two sources said Kushner's meeting with Netanyahu lasted several hours. Nickolay Mladenov, Trump's Board of Peace envoy for ‌Gaza who is widely seen as leading efforts to implement the plan, also attended the meeting, the sources told Reuters. 

The Israeli official said Netanyahu and Kushner agreed in the meeting that the reconstruction of Gaza would not begin until Hamas was fully disarmed, including of light weapons. 

In a statement that characterized the meeting as "deep and constructive", the prime minister's office said that Israel and the ‌Board of Peace believe that Gaza's disarmament should be "prompt and completed before any reconstruction happens". 

It also said that Netanyahu had agreed with the Board of Peace ⁠to establish a working group ⁠on disarmament and demilitarization, and another working group that focuses on sanitation, clean water and other public health issues in Gaza. 

A Board of Peace official described the meeting as "in-depth and very productive," saying the two sides had reached an agreement on a path forward. The official did not elaborate. 

RECONSTRUCTION 

US and Israeli officials have previously said that reconstruction could happen in areas of Gaza under Israeli control or a new Palestinian technocratic government. The Board of Peace has indicated that while rifles would be prohibited, some personal weapons would be permitted under Palestinian law. 

Netanyahu is facing a tough reelection campaign and diplomats say it is unlikely Israel's longest-serving prime minister would make any concessions over Gaza before the October 27 vote. 

Kushner and Mladenov were in Israel after meeting with Hamas political leader Khalil Al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. 

It marks Kushner's second known meeting with representatives of Hamas, the Palestinian group designated a terrorist movement by the United States. 

Kushner previously met Hamas officials alongside US envoy Steve Witkoff in October 2025, helping clinch a deal that led to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of remaining hostages seized by Hamas. 

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Arab World

Strike on Gaza University Kills Three

Mourners grieve during the funeral of three Palestinians at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 25, 2026, after they were killed in an Israeli strike on the Islamic University building. (AFP)
Mourners grieve during the funeral of three Palestinians at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 25, 2026, after they were killed in an Israeli strike on the Islamic University building. (AFP)
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Strike on Gaza University Kills Three

Mourners grieve during the funeral of three Palestinians at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 25, 2026, after they were killed in an Israeli strike on the Islamic University building. (AFP)
Mourners grieve during the funeral of three Palestinians at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on October 25, 2026, after they were killed in an Israeli strike on the Islamic University building. (AFP)

An Israeli strike on a university in Gaza City killed three people on Sunday, staff and a local hospital said, while the civil defense agency reported five others killed elsewhere in the territory.

Reached for comment on the strike at the Islamic University, the Israeli army said that it was currently under review.

Al Shifa hospital reported receiving three bodies and treating eight people who were wounded in the drone strike, with two sources at the university saying the dead were employees and the injured were students.

The university said the campus and its surroundings had been targeted twice on Sunday, condemning the attacks and mourning those killed in a statement.

Gaza's education ministry likewise condemned the strike, saying: "The global silence regarding attacks on students and universities serves as encouragement for the continuation of these crimes".

"This strike occurs at a time when the higher education sector is facing total annihilation, with 95 percent of the buildings belonging to academic institutions having been damaged as a result of the war," it continued.

"This heinous assault is part of a continuous series of attacks on education; over the past six days, 10 students and educators have been killed by the occupation's fire."

In a statement, the army said it had been "targeting a terrorist from Hamas' military wing".

"Following the identification of uninvolved individuals in the area, the munition was diverted in order to mitigate harm to them. The incident is under review," it said, without specifying whether those killed at the university were hit by accident.

A truce has been in effect in Gaza for over a year, but has failed to completely halt the violence there.

Gaza civil defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said five other people were killed on Sunday, three in strikes around the southern city of Khan Younis, one in central Deir al-Balah and one northwest of Gaza City.

One more person was wounded by Israeli gunfire in Jabalia refugee camp in the north.

Arab World

Commander of Yemeni Coast Guard: Our Duties Are Continuing Normally and Our Morale Is High

Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli. (Saba)
Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli. (Saba)
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Commander of Yemeni Coast Guard: Our Duties Are Continuing Normally and Our Morale Is High

Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli. (Saba)
Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli. (Saba)

Yemeni Coast Guard Commander Major General Khalid al-Qamli stated that three Houthi missiles targeted coast guard positions in the interim capital of Aden, causing infrastructure damage. He stressed that the attack did not halt operations, which continue normally with high morale.

Al-Qamli told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Three Houthi missiles targeted the Yemeni Coast Guard Authority in Aden, resulting in infrastructure damage.”

The Interior Ministry said two missiles struck on Saturday the coast guard headquarters at the ministry’s offices, while a third hit the coast guard building in the Tawahi district.

It noted that the targeting of security and service facilities is an extension of previous assaults on civilian and vital infrastructure in Aden. This includes Aden International Airport, which has been subjected to ballistic missile and drone attacks on multiple occasions.

It added that the relevant authorities are continuing to gather information and evidence to assess the damage and are taking the necessary measures to boost security and protect both infrastructure and citizens.

The Coast Guard in the Gulf of Aden sector performs critical duties that include securing ports and their facilities, monitoring vessel traffic, maritime lanes, and the coastline, alongside escorting vessels when necessary and executing rescue operations.

These responsibilities carry heightened significance amid Yemen's ongoing efforts to bolster port security and streamline coordination among maritime security entities.

To that end, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) convened a workshop in Aden last August, drawing representatives from the Coast Guard, government bodies, and port authorities to address maritime security governance, information sharing, and the protection of port infrastructure.

In Shabwah, Governor Awadh Mohammed bin Al-Wazir praised a "qualitative security achievement" by the Rapid Intervention Forces, which dismantled a 13-member Houthi cell and seized a truck laden with weapons, ammunition, highly explosive improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and various projectiles.

The seized items included sniper rifles, ammunition, IEDs, and various projectiles. Preliminary investigations revealed the shipment was smuggled through a boat and received by members of the cell on the coast of the Radum district ahead of sending it to the Houthis.

Arab World

Large Public and Official Turnout at Funerals of Jordan Church Attack Victims

Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
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Large Public and Official Turnout at Funerals of Jordan Church Attack Victims

Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

Thousands of Jordanians on Sunday laid to rest eight of the nine victims killed on Friday in a terrorist attack that targeted the Hamoud Church in the southern governorate of Karak, amid a large public and official turnout that underscored the principles of coexistence.

On Friday, gunmen suspected of being "takfiris" opened fire on churchgoers, killing nine and wounding about 25 others. The ninth victim will be buried Monday in the Sahab cemetery south of Amman, AFP reported, citing the victim's family.

The funerals extended far beyond the immediate tragedy at the church, as the village of Hamoud witnessed a national consensus that underscored Christian-Muslim fraternity and cast the terrorist crime as a catalyst for solidarity rather than strife.

An official presence dominated the funeral, with the heads of the constitutional authorities leading the ranks of mourners. Most of the governorate’s prominent figures, both Muslim and Christian, stood alongside the families of the church victims to receive condolences.

Jordanian honor guards carry the flag-draped coffins of victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

By order of Jordanian King Abdullah II, the Royal Hashemite Court undertook the arrangements and protocols for the massive funeral service, which drew thousands of people from across the kingdom.

In a reflection of the area's deep-rooted coexistence, the Christian victims killed at the church included Dr. Mohammad Al-Qassous. A member of the Al-Halsa clan, his parents chose his Muslim name out of a profound conviction that no distinction exists between the residents of a shared village. Widely recognized in the community, Al-Qassous was known as the "doctor of the poor."

Among the wounded in the terrorist attack were four Muslims, two of whom had arrived to help upon hearing the sound of gunfire.

Informed sources stated that "the past hours witnessed a continuation of search operations on a broader scale" for the attackers, noting that investigators are close to mapping and tracking the communication networks of the terrorist cell behind the church massacre.

According to the sources, the delay in announcing preliminary investigation results stems from search and tracking operations navigating the mountainous terrain east of the Karak governorate. They noted that the challenging topography of the search sites demands caution, particularly amid concerns that the militants may have cached weapons for use in further operations. Authorities are continuing to raid locations where suspects are believed to be hiding.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan stated Sunday, during a cabinet meeting that opened with a recitation of Al-Fatiha for the victims, that "all state agencies are working to apprehend the terrorists behind the Karak crime so they face the punishment they deserve."

A woman reacts during the funeral of victims of a church shooting in Karak, Jordan, October 25, 2026. (Reuters)

"This is not merely a security battle; this is a battle of awareness and ideology. Nations and homelands collapse when strife, bigotry, racism, and extremism spread within their societies,” he added.

During the funeral ceremonies, Asharq Al-Awsat observed striking scenes that encapsulated feelings of grief, anger, and a commitment to national unity.

As Muslim clerics stood alongside Christian clergy around the church, the victims' coffins were placed at the beginning of the farewell ceremony on a white cloth bearing a message of peace and adorned with flowers, before being carried in a solemn military funeral on the shoulders of general security personnel, draped in Jordanian flags.

Another scene encapsulated the depths of anger, as young Jordanian men wore the Shemagh (a red Jordanian headdress) upside down - a tribal custom that symbolizes a demand for revenge - expressing their outrage over the crime.

Following the burials, the ululations of the victims' mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters filled the air, blending with the tears of farewell in a scene that united the pain of loss with immense pride in the departed.