Israeli President Isaac Herzog met on Monday with Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and Middle East envoy, and Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem to discuss the next steps in implementing Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza.
Following the meeting, Herzog thanked Kushner and Mladenov for their efforts to advance the plan and said he was “impressed that Israel’s security interests are an important and central element” of it.
Herzog also praised the Board of Peace’s efforts to promote a “brighter and more secure future” for Israelis, Palestinians in Gaza and the broader region.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a member of the board’s executive committee, and Aryeh Lightstone, a senior adviser to the board, also attended.
The meeting followed a separate, hourslong meeting on Monday between Kushner, Mladenov and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the sides agreed to establish two working groups. One will focus on the disarmament and demilitarization of Gaza, which Israel and the Board of Peace say must be completed before reconstruction begins.
The second will address sanitation, clean water and other public health needs in Gaza that also affect Israel.
The discussions come as implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan remains stalled over the issue of Hamas’ disarmament. Israel has maintained that Hamas must be fully disarmed before Israeli forces withdraw and large-scale reconstruction begins.
