Netanyahu, Kushner Agree: Hamas Must Fully Disarm Before Gaza Reconstruction or Israeli Withdrawal

Key Facts

Published: August 18, 2026 Location: Jerusalem Source: All Israel News, Jewish News Syndicate (JNS), The Epoch Times, Israeli Prime Minister’s Office

• Netanyahu and Kushner agreed that Gaza reconstruction will not begin until Hamas is disarmed and the territory demilitarized.
• Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas weapons and tunnels have been dealt with, according to the Board of Peace framework.
• Kushner said weapons removal could begin within 30 days, with tunnel closures potentially beginning within 60 to 90 days.

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner have reached an understanding that Hamas must be fully disarmed and the Gaza Strip demilitarized before reconstruction begins or Israeli forces withdraw, marking a significant narrowing of differences between Jerusalem and the Trump administration over the future of Gaza.

Netanyahu and Kushner met for nearly four hours in Jerusalem on Monday, with representatives of President Donald Trump’s U.S.-backed Board of Peace later joining the discussions. Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office described the talks as “deep and constructive.”

The two sides agreed to establish a working group focused specifically on the disarmament of Hamas and the broader demilitarization of Gaza. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, that process is to be completed before reconstruction begins. A second working group will address sanitation, clean water and other public-health concerns inside Gaza.

More significantly for Israel, the Board of Peace said Israeli forces would not redeploy out of Gaza until Hamas had been completely disarmed and the territory demilitarized—including the removal of both light and heavy weapons and the dismantling of Hamas’s extensive tunnel network.

Kushner told Fox News following the meeting that the United States would not support rebuilding Gaza while Hamas remains armed.

“We have a plan to rebuild Gaza, but we will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until the demilitarization occurs,” Kushner said, according to The Epoch Times. Israeli withdrawal, he added, would be discussed only after Hamas was brought into full compliance and demilitarization had been completed.

Disarmament Could Begin Within 30 Days

Kushner expressed optimism that tangible progress could come quickly, saying weapons could begin to be removed within 30 days and Hamas tunnels could begin being filled in during the following 60 to 90 days.

Israeli media reports cited by All Israel News said a U.S. general would oversee the decommissioning process, while weapons surrendered by Hamas would be transferred to warehouses controlled by Gaza’s new technocratic administration.

The agreement follows days of intense diplomacy. Kushner met Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya and other representatives in Egypt before traveling to Jerusalem, as Washington attempts to advance a 15-point roadmap connected to Trump’s broader plan for Gaza.

Hamas has previously sought to make its disarmament conditional upon Israeli withdrawal—a sequencing Israel has rejected. The new understanding between Netanyahu and Kushner effectively embraces Israel’s position that disarmament must come first.

The Board of Peace also affirmed Israel’s right to defend itself if Hamas resumes terrorism, violence or attempts to rearm, although differences reportedly remain over Israel’s policy of targeted strikes against terrorist commanders.

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