Washington expects Hamas to begin disarming in Gaza soon, while signaling that it will support further Israeli military action if the Palestinian group fails to honor its commitments.
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U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner said the situation in Gaza could move forward quickly if the parties cooperate. In an interview with Fox News following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said Hamas had 60 to 90 days to demonstrate its willingness to disarm.
“If Hamas voluntarily hands over its weapons in the tunnels during the next 60 to 90 days, that would eliminate a major security threat to Israel,” Kushner said.
He warned that failure to comply with the disarmament agreement would bring Israel broader support from the United States and other countries to take further steps.
“If they do not fulfill their commitment now, everyone will see that they are not sincere about peace and that Israel will have much more support from the United States and others to finish the job properly,” he said.
Kushner said Hamas representatives, during Sunday’s meeting, “said all the right things.” However, he added that the United States finds it difficult to trust them because of the organization’s history.
According to him, Hamas will now be given the opportunity to prove through concrete actions whether it is serious about the peace process.
The U.S. envoy also held a meeting lasting around four hours with Benjamin Netanyahu, which he described as “very, very good.” The talks addressed the Israeli prime minister’s concerns, including Israel’s right to self-defense and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Kushner said the initial steps could be taken within 30 days. The objective is to begin removing weapons from the tunnels first, while the tunnel network itself will also be addressed over the next 60 to 90 days.
