Kushner and Blair meet Netanyahu as Gaza peace plan stalls
US envoy Jared Kushner and Tony Blair met Benjamin Netanyahu to revive the Gaza peace plan, but Israel rejected it and a far-right minister urged targeted assassinations.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Jared Kushner, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, with former UK prime minister Tony Blair also present. The talks lasted several hours and were described by a Netanyahu spokesman as "deep and constructive", but there was no sign of a breakthrough.
The meeting came after Netanyahu flatly rejected the 15-point US-led peace roadmap for Gaza last week. That plan proposed a phased Israeli troop withdrawal in exchange for Hamas and other armed groups fully giving up their weapons. Netanyahu has insisted there will be no withdrawal unless there is "complete and genuine disarmament".
Kushner was joined by Blair and Nikolai Mladenov, who has been involved in negotiations with Hamas. On Sunday, Kushner met Hamas's new leader in Egypt, but little progress has been reported. Eight Muslim countries have issued a statement condemning Israel for rejecting the peace deal.
Meanwhile, Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has sparked fresh outrage by calling for targeted assassinations in Gaza. In a podcast, he said: "I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night... There are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn't live. They're not even people." His comments were widely condemned and are likely to further isolate the Israeli government.
The political context is delicate. Netanyahu faces an election in late October, with his Likud party trailing in the polls. He is under pressure from hardline coalition partners to take a harsher line on Gaza, making any compromise difficult.
On the ground, conditions in Gaza remain dire. Channel 4 reported the death of a 14-year-old boy, Suhail Shaloof, who his mother said was shot by Israeli troops near the so-called yellow line. Israel has also been accused of reneging on promises to allow sufficient humanitarian aid.
In the West Bank, two Palestinian families in the village of Khusra have been trapped for more than a week under siege from Israeli settlers, with soldiers reportedly protecting the settlers. A Palestinian-American man, Louis Riddi, flew in from Ohio to join his family and appealed to the US embassy for protection.
Despite the flurry of diplomatic activity, there is little sign that the core obstacles have been overcome. The Israeli government continues to reject the phased withdrawal, and Hamas's willingness to disarm remains unclear. The US administration, which needs a foreign policy success before the midterm elections, appears increasingly frustrated.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One | Channel 4 | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel rejected the US-led Gaza peace plan. | |||
| Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed a meeting between Kushner and Netanyahu without releasing details. | |||
| A 14-year-old boy was shot by Israeli troops in Gaza. | · | · | |
| Eight Muslim countries condemned Israel for rejecting the 15-point Gaza peace deal. | · | · | |
| Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for targeted assassinations of 30 to 40 people per night in Gaza. | · | · | |
| Netanyahu stated there will be no troop withdrawal from Gaza unless complete and genuine disarmament is achieved. | · | · | |
| No breakthrough was reported on Gaza's future. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC focused on the diplomatic meeting itself, the rejection of the peace plan, and the political pressures on Netanyahu. It highlighted the uphill struggle facing Kushner and Blair, and noted the statement from eight Muslim countries. The tone was factual and analytical, with a Middle East correspondent providing context.
- “we've only had confirmation from the Israeli Prime Minister's office that this meeting went ahead. We don't know any of the real details at the moment”
- “trying to get Mr Netanyahu to budge in his positions will be a real uphill struggle”
- “He's currently facing a very tough election campaign with his party trailing in the polls”
Channel 4 provided the most detailed on-the-ground reporting, including the death of a 14-year-old boy in Gaza and the settler siege in the West Bank. It gave prominent coverage to Ben-Gvir's inflammatory remarks and questioned whether Kushner's mission could achieve anything. The tone was more critical and human-focused.
- “I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night”
- “Such language makes Jared Kushner's mission to Israel unlikely to achieve much”
- “An Israeli official said there was no breakthrough on Gaza's future”
ITV focused on the diplomatic impasse and the political calculations behind Netanyahu's rejection. It highlighted Ben-Gvir's comments as a source of international outrage and noted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The tone was sober, with a clear sense that the peace plan is failing.
- “Jared Kushner's efforts to revive the Gaza peace plan may well be mission impossible”
- “A cabinet minister saying that, amid the apocalyptic scenes that exist in Gaza, will isolate the Israeli government even more”
- “It remains unclear whether the militant group is genuinely prepared to surrender its weapons”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.