Blair and Mladenov join Kushner for talks with Netanyahu in Jerusalem

Former British prime minister Tony Blair and Bulgarian diplomat Nikolay Mladenov will join U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem aimed at restarting a stalled Gaza peace process.

Mladenov, who serves as the High Representative of the Council for Peace for Gaza, and Blair are travelling to Israel to support Kushner’s efforts to find a way forward after his meetings in Cairo and the region.

Goals and obstacles

The international mediators are pressing to implement a roadmap for the Gaza Strip that foresees the “full disarmament of Hamas and of the other Palestinian armed groups, gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the handover of administration to Palestinian technocrats.”

Kushner arrived in Israel after talks in Egypt where he met with the Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya; representatives of intermediary states — Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — also participated in those discussions.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has previously rejected the latest plan proposed by President Donald Trump, saying Israel would not withdraw from about 60 percent of the territory in the Gaza Strip it currently controls until Hamas is completely disarmed.

During his visit to Cairo, Kushner also met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, the two leaders urged both Israel and Hamas to consistently fulfil their obligations under the ceasefire agreement for the Gaza Strip.

In October 2025 Israel and Hamas, mediated by Egypt, Qatar, the United States and Turkey, reached a ceasefire agreement. While the heaviest fighting has since subsided, implementation of subsequent phases of the deal remains stalled.

Photo: press material from the event