Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior U.S. envoy Jared Kushner discussed steps to fully disarm Hamas, demilitarize the Gaza Strip, and ensure the group never again plays a governing role there, an Israeli government spokesperson said Monday. The spokesperson added that any decision on Gaza will be made in collaboration with the Trump administration.
U.S. officials are pressing Israel to allow a negotiated “safe passage” for some 200 terrorists trapped under Rafah rather than seek their elimination, Israeli officials said. One proposal under discussion would see them surrender, lay down their arms, and receive clemency or deportation while the tunnels they occupy are destroyed, people briefed on the talks said.
The diplomatic push gained momentum during Kushner’s visit to Israel this week. Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and a key architect of the recent ceasefire arrangement, met Netanyahu and other senior officials to press Washington’s preferred approach, U.S. and Israeli sources said.
“A lot of pressure is being applied from the U.S.,” a senior Israeli official said. “Given that, it’s hard to imagine we will simply eliminate them. The assessment is this could be solved by an agreement.”
The issue took on new urgency after the return of the remains of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier held by Hamas for more than 11 years. Washington officials hope Goldin’s repatriation broadened Netanyahu’s political room to accept a negotiated outcome, Israeli officials said.
A senior Turkish official said late Sunday that Ankara is working to secure “safe passage” for about 200 people trapped in a tunnel enclave in Rafah’s Jenina neighborhood, and cited Turkey’s role in facilitating Goldin’s return. “We successfully facilitated the return of Hadar Goldin after 11 years,” the official told Reuters, saying the effort reflected Hamas’s commitment to the ceasefire.
Israeli defense sources dismissed Turkey’s civilian characterization, saying the group consists of Hamas terrorists sheltering in an Israeli-controlled pocket of Rafah. The Israel Defense Forces said it continues to destroy tunnels in the area and to maintain pressure against threats emanating from the zone.
Hamas spokesmen insist their members will not surrender and urged mediators to intervene. Senior Hamas official Mohammad Nazzal told Al-Araby television the group rejects exile from Gaza and warned Israel and its partners would bear responsibility for any escalation.
Palestinian-American mediator Bashara Bahbah said he expected an agreement “within days” that would permit the trapped terrorists to exit into safe Palestinian territory, echoing hopes among mediators for a compromise.
First published: 13:59, 11.10.25