U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner said the American administration has only recently begun to grasp the true scale of militarization in the Gaza Strip, describing it as “beyond imagination” and warning that disarmament will therefore be a highly difficult task.
Speaking at a press conference Sunday in Kyiv, Kushner said the United States had been working with Hamas for more than four months, stressing that the group had signed an agreement committing to disarmament and de-escalation.
U.S. and Israel Agree on Gaza’s End Goal
Regarding coordination with Israel, Kushner said Washington and Jerusalem agree on the “ultimate goal” for the Gaza Strip, while acknowledging that several outstanding political issues still need to be resolved.
He attributed some of the current difficulties in coordination to Israel’s domestic political situation, saying the country is facing “messy elections,” which he argued have made some positions “somewhat irrational.”
Kushner nevertheless stressed that the United States remains “very determined” to continue working toward resolving the outstanding issues.
Disarmament Seen as Key to Reconstruction
Kushner’s remarks come amid an intensive diplomatic push by the Trump administration to advance negotiations on several international and regional issues, including the war in Ukraine and the Palestinian conflict.
The emphasis on disarmament as a key condition is consistent with recently stated U.S. and Israeli positions regarding the future of Gaza, which call for ending the military control of any faction in the territory before major reconstruction efforts or a lasting political settlement can move forward.
The latest diplomatic efforts come as the U.S. administration seeks to maintain momentum toward addressing interconnected crises in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, amid continued political and security challenges.
