Trump Envoys Engage in Negotiations with Arab Mediators as Gaza Peace Plan Confronts Israeli Opposition
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Dhivyanshu
- . August 17, 2026
- . Update: August 17, 2026 5:58 pm
On Sunday, the envoys of US President Donald Trump engaged in negotiations with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo amidst ongoing efforts by the US to develop its Gaza peace plan amid Israeli objections and continued strikes in the enclave.
Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner and Gaza envoy Nickolay Mladenov were involved in diplomatic negotiations. Officials from Hamas have also participated in some negotiations between US delegates and Arab mediators, sources said.
The discussions take place against the backdrop of efforts to sustain a ceasefire and progress to the next stage in Trump’s peace plan.
Israel Raises Objections to Peace Plan
Kushner and Mladenov are set to hold meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
Netanyahu has already rejected this most recent offer from Trump as unacceptable earlier this month. One of the main areas of contention is the U.S.’s insistence that any military activity be immediately stopped in Gaza.
The plan calls for the disarming of Hamas as Israeli troops withdraw and then reconstruction of Gaza under the leadership of a civilian Palestinian administration.
One of the specific objections to this plan on the part of Israel is the constraint placed on any targeted strikes against Hamas fighters in the event of a ceasefire.
It is clear from the dispute that one of the main obstacles that needs to be overcome is the task of creating a plan that will satisfy both Israel’s security demands and convince Hamas to disarm and make way for a political transition.
Israeli Strikes in Gaza
While diplomats continue their work, Israeli military strikes in Gaza have also resumed.
According to the Israeli military, their aircraft struck at Islamic Jihad and Hamas militants in Khan Younis and Nuseirat on Sunday.
Palestinian medical workers say that at least five people were injured when one such airstrike struck a tent camp in Khan Younis, with one fatality occurring at Nasser Hospital.
An attack by Israel struck an apartment in the Nuseirat refugee camp, leaving several people injured.
Israeli officials say the attacks were aimed at militants, while Palestinian officials and medics say there were civilian casualties.
The ongoing attacks make it difficult for people to transition from the existing ceasefire process to a political solution.
Hamas Asks Mediators to Pressure Israel – Gaza peace plan
Hamas is also asking for guarantees from regional mediators.
Khalil Al-Hayya, leader of Hamas, had a meeting with Hassan Rashad, who heads Egypt’s intelligence service in Cairo. According to Hazem Qassem, spokesperson for Hamas, Al-Hayya will brief Egyptian officials on the violations of the ceasefire committed by Israel.
Hamas says it accepted Trump’s peace plan framework to prevent further escalation but demands that Israel fulfill its responsibilities by withdrawing troops and halting attacks.
Hamas says that the mediators and Trump’s Board of Peace should pressure Israel to implement the first phase of the deal and reach the second one.
Arab and Muslim Countries Support the Initiative
Diplomatic pressure on Israel has been mounting internationally as well.
Five Arab nations, alongside Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia, have come up with a joint statement criticizing Israel for rejecting President Trump’s initiative.
Israel’s position was said to be detrimental to America’s efforts to end the Gaza conflict.
While Israel’s official government has not formally accepted the basic framework of the plan, Netanyahu’s political allies blamed the Arab governments for trying to weaken Netanyahu’s position before the upcoming national elections on October 27 in Israel.
The main task for Washington now would be to reconcile the diverging positions between Israel and Hamas without having any renewed military confrontation derail the negotiations.
Following an October ceasefire that brought the fighting to a stop after two years of war, the Israeli attacks have been going on.
Based on Palestinian officials’ statements as reported by Reuters, more than 1,250 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2025, while Israeli reports speak about four soldiers killed by the militants in the same period of time.
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