A Hamas source and another source from a Palestinian faction that took part in the latest Cairo negotiations revealed some details surrounding the summit meeting between US envoy Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Nikolay Mladenov, the senior representative for Gaza on the Peace Council, and council member Tony Blair, and the Palestinian movement's leadership, specifically Khalil al-Hayya, Khaled Meshaal, Mohammed Darwish, and Ghazi Hamad. The two sources, in separate statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, said the Palestinian delegation held a meeting Saturday with Egyptian Intelligence Minister Hassan Rashad and representatives of the mediating countries. The meeting addressed all issues related to what remains of the first phase and the implementation of the second phase, Israel's failure to stop its violations of the ceasefire, its failure to withdraw to the original Yellow Line, and the humanitarian protocol that was supposed to have been implemented earlier. The Hamas source described the meeting with Kushner, Mladenov, and Blair, attended by representatives of the mediating countries, as very positive, noting that the US envoy congratulated the movement's leadership on the elections that resulted in Khalil al-Hayya becoming head of the political bureau. The source revealed that Kushner asked al-Hayya and the movement's leaders about their future during and after implementation of the 15-point "road map." The head of Hamas's political bureau said the movement would exercise its natural right to engage in political activity, alongside its involvement in social work. Asharq Al-Awsat reported several days ago, citing Hamas sources, that the movement's leadership and the factions had received clear assurances regarding their political future and their ability to engage in political activity freely, without restrictions or the pursuit of their members. Al-Hayya said Hamas had adopted arms as a means of achieving the goals of the Palestinian people, with the aim of reaching a clear political solution to the Palestinian issue that would lead to self-determination. He noted that this is also stipulated in President Trump's plan, which was agreed upon in September 2025, before being formally signed the following month, leading to the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. According to the source, Kushner praised Hamas's positions and considered what it had provided for its people to be very significant. He noted that Trump welcomed the movement's agreement to the "road map" and called on Israel to halt its strikes. Al-Hayya told him that nothing had changed on the ground and that killings were continuing despite a decline in their frequency, while there had been a noticeable increase of about 120 new trucks entering the Strip. He said what the movement wants is a path toward a political solution. He stressed that the "negotiations" on the provisions of the road map would not be "reopened" and that no amendments to it would be allowed. Kushner asked Hamas's leadership to provide clarifications conveyed by Israel to the US envoy's team regarding the digging of a tunnel in an area near the Yellow Line. Al-Hayya and the movement's leaders denied this, saying it was merely a water well being dug to provide services to residents. He stressed that his movement was carrying out no military activities and was fully committed to everything that had been agreed upon. The two teams, in the presence of the mediators, shared a meal before holding another meeting with Ali Shaath, head of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and some members of the committee. According to the Hamas source, Shaath told Kushner that the national committee's priorities were reconstruction and providing aid to residents of the Strip. He asked him to convey a message to Trump that all Palestinians aspire to live in peace and without wars. Kushner also assured al-Hayya before leaving Cairo that he would work forcefully in Israel to ensure that it adhered to what had been agreed upon. Following the conclusion of the meetings between the Hamas delegation, the US envoy, and officials from the Peace Council, the delegation met with the Palestinian factions on Monday evening and briefed them on those meetings. On Monday, Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, according to Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom, reprimanded him for holding meetings with Hamas's leadership in Egypt. According to an Israeli political official, there will be no reconstruction in the Gaza Strip before disarmament takes place, with the process to be overseen by a US officer from the international stabilization force. Speaking with a Fox News journalist in Tel Aviv, Kushner said: "We may see progress within about 30 days, with some of the weapons beginning to be withdrawn as we hope, and perhaps some tunnels being filled in during the next 60 to 90 days." Kushner stressed that the United States "will not restrict Israel's right to defend itself if there are any imminent threats in Gaza." Netanyahu is demanding that Hamas fully disarm, including its heavy and light weapons, a demand the Peace Council has repeatedly reaffirmed. A senior Hamas source told Asharq Al-Awsat that there has been no change or alteration to the "road map" agreement, and that this had been confirmed by all parties, including Kushner. He said the Peace Council clarified that this meant Israel was not required to carry out any withdrawal from the original Yellow Line before the process of collecting and storing weapons begins, while it is required to withdraw from areas where it expanded its presence after the Yellow Line was recently extended. The source said the agreement was clear in its wording and that anything beyond that was merely a play on words to serve Netanyahu politically as elections approach. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem also told Agence France-Presse on Tuesday that the movement remained fully committed to the agreement following the Kushner-Netanyahu talks. He said: "(Hamas) is committed to this agreed-upon course," adding: "It is clear that the occupation has not yet given the mediators clear approval of the road map... There are timelines and procedural steps that need to be detailed, but there must be approval of the road map from the occupation."
