Aug 17, 2026

Israel News Today: Kushner Meets Hamas Chief in Egypt as Arab States Blame Israel Over Gaza Plan

US envoy Jared Kushner met Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt and pushed the group to start disarming, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel. Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey and other countries issued a joint statement condemning Israel's rejection of President Trump's Gaza plan, and remarks by Itamar Ben Gvir calling for killing "30 to 40" people in Gaza nightly drew wide attention.

Kushner Meets Hamas Chief

Kushner met Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in the Egyptian coastal city of El-Alamein, joined by Board of Peace envoys Nickolay Mladenov and Tony Blair, and pushed Hamas to start disarming, an Arab diplomat said, The Times of Israel reported.

Joint Statement Criticises Israel

Five Arab countries together with Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia issued a joint statement condemning Israel's rejection of Trump's Gaza plan, saying it threatens efforts to end the war, The Times of Israel reported.

Ben Gvir's "30 to 40" Remarks

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir publicly advocated killing "30 to 40" people in targeted strikes on Gaza each night, apparently referring to Hamas operatives, in comments widely shared in Arab media, The Times of Israel reported.

Avraham Burg Joins Arab-Jewish Party

Former Knesset speaker Avraham Burg joined the left-wing Arab-Jewish party Makom Lekulanu ("A Place for Us All"), led by Rula Daood and Alon-Lee Green, ahead of the election, The Times of Israel reported.

Israel and Honduras Sign Defense MOU

Israel and Honduras signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen defense cooperation, the Defense Ministry announced, The Times of Israel reported.