The special envoy of the United States, Jared Kushner, has forecasted this Monday "advances" in the demilitarization process of the Gaza Strip within a margin of 30 days, after meeting during the day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The head of the Israeli Government has shown opposition to this 'roadmap' from the Peace Board, while Kushner has assured him that the reconstruction of the enclave will not be initiated until the disarmament of the Palestinian militias is completed.
"We could see advances in just 30 days, and we expect to begin regaining some control of certain tunnels in the next 60 to 90 days. So progress could come very soon, but we need the cooperation of both parties (...) We have made a lot of progress to get here," he stated in an interview with the American network Fox News.
In the same vein, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump has defended that with the 'roadmap' proposed by the Peace Board "everyone wins" in Israel. "If Hamas really hands over the weapons and tunnels voluntarily in the next 60 to 90 days, that would obviously mean the elimination of a huge threat to Israel's security, an almost unthinkable achievement. And if they do not fulfill their commitment now, everyone will see that they are not doing it," he added.
When questioned about Netanyahu's rejection of this plan, Kushner admitted that the Israeli leader had "valid concerns" and explained that during the meeting they held this Monday in Jerusalem, they were able to clarify "some misunderstandings and misinformation," a meeting he described as "very productive."
The special envoy emphasized that, although the Trump Administration is "very committed" to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, this will not take place until the disarmament of the Islamic Resistance Movement has been completed, as Netanyahu demanded.
"We will not allow its reconstruction until demilitarization is complete. No one wants to invest more money in a place that has been in conflict for so long, if it is then going to be taken by terrorists or destroyed. We are also not going to restrict Israel's right to defend itself against imminent threats," he stated.
Netanyahu has also received this Monday the director of the Peace Board, the Bulgarian diplomat Nikolai Mladenov, with whom he has agreed to set up two working groups, one of them aimed at accelerating the "demilitarization" of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, on the other hand, has confirmed its adherence to the American plan, which includes the disarmament of Palestinian militias, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the enclave, and the transfer of authority to a new Palestinian administration tasked with starting the reconstruction of the Gaza territory.