Kushner is expected to travel with Nickolay Mladenov, the Gaza Board of Peace’s high representative. The two plan to meet Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials before Kushner also travels to Cairo for talks with Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
The biggest issue is disarming Hamas. Trump announced two weeks ago that his Board of Peace had reached an agreement with Hamas to give up its weapons and transfer control of Gaza to a new Palestinian government. Netanyahu has publicly pushed back against the plan, although American officials say Israel and the US still agree on the main goal.
The talks come just months before Israel’s October election, making any major decision on Gaza politically difficult for Netanyahu. The White House does not want the election to delay its Gaza plan, while Netanyahu wants to avoid a major fight with Trump.
Kushner’s trip will focus on finding an agreement with Israel over what happens next in Gaza, including Hamas disarmament, Israeli military positions and who will control Gaza going forward.