UNITED STATES: US President Donald Trump’s envoys held talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday to advance Washington’s Gaza peace plan, while Israel continued airstrikes across the enclave. Trump’s son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner, along with Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov, participated in the discussions, with Hamas officials attending some of the meetings, according to a diplomatic source.
The talks come as efforts to implement Trump’s proposed roadmap face renewed obstacles. The plan calls for an immediate cessation of military operations in Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, an Israeli military withdrawal and the reconstruction of Gaza under a new civilian Palestinian administration.
A senior Israeli official said Kushner and Mladenov are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Netanyahu previously described Trump’s latest roadmap as unacceptable, while Israeli officials have raised concerns over Washington’s demand to halt targeted killings of Hamas fighters as the group rebuilds its forces.
Israel Resumes Airstrikes as Ceasefire Efforts Continue
Israel has intensified airstrikes in Gaza in recent days after scaling back military operations earlier this month. The Israeli military said on Sunday that it targeted Islamic Jihad and Hamas fighters in Khan Younis and Nuseirat. Palestinian medics said at least five people were wounded when a strike hit a tent encampment in Khan Younis, with one of the wounded later dying at Nasser Hospital.
Another Israeli airstrike struck an apartment in the Nuseirat refugee camp after the military said it was targeting a fighter. Medics reported several injuries.
Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya also met Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad in Cairo, with Hamas saying the meeting focused on alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire. Hamas has said it accepted Trump’s plan to prevent renewed conflict but conditioned implementation on Israel fulfilling its commitments, including withdrawing its forces and halting attacks.
Five Arab countries, along with Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia, condemned Israel’s rejection of the proposed roadmap in a joint statement, warning that it could undermine Trump’s efforts to end the Gaza war. Hamas separately called on mediators and the Board of Peace to pressure Israel to implement the first phase of the plan, end alleged ceasefire violations and approve the second phase.
The October ceasefire ended major fighting after nearly two years of war triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, but Israeli military operations have continued. According to Palestinian figures cited by Reuters, more than 1,250 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since October 2025, while Israel says four of its soldiers were killed by fighters in Gaza during the same period.