Kushner downplays Gaza suffering, blaming Hamas disarmament, Israeli politics for stalled Gaza talks

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and negotiator on Middle East affairs, has justified the faltering talks on the next steps in the fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza, saying that the Strip had been a “miserable place for a long time”, in remarks that appeared to overlook the scale of the humanitarian suffering caused by Israel’s war on Gaza. 

Speaking at a press conference in Ukraine on Sunday, Kushner said disarming Hamas would not be easy, describing the group’s “militarisation” in the Palestinian territories as “beyond our comprehension”.

He added that the Trump administration is “extremely determined” to resolve outstanding issues and said it agreed with Israel on the territory’s desired end state, saying: “I think we agree with them on the end state.” 

But he attributed some difficulties to Israel’s election, saying: “They just have a crazy election and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards but we’re very determined and we’re working through these things.” 

READ: Israeli media claim Kushner warned Hamas during meeting with its leader