Netanyahu and Kushner Clash Over Airstrikes on Hamas Members Involved in Surprise Attack

The Times of Israel reported on August 19 (local time), citing government officials, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jared Kushner, special envoy and son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, are clashing over targeted airstrikes against Hamas members involved in the 2023 surprise attack on Israel.

According to the report, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Special Envoy Kushner have failed to reach an agreement on whether to continue targeted airstrikes against Hamas militants who participated in the surprise attack. Previously, the Israeli side had stated that it has been conducting special operations targeting Hamas operatives involved in the 2023 assault.

The U.S.-led Peace Committee reached an agreement at the end of last month to disarm Hamas. This agreement stipulates that both Israel and Hamas must cease all military operations immediately upon implementation. According to the outlet's sources, Kushner’s team expressed that it does not oppose strikes against those posing an “imminent threat.” However, they warned that such exceptions should not be interpreted too broadly.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Netanyahu is reportedly maintaining his stance to continue airstrikes against the perpetrators of the surprise attack. In fact, Israel launched a large-scale airstrike just hours after Special Envoy Kushner departed the country. The airstrike resulted in the deaths of at least six people, including one child. The Israel Defense Forces stated that the strike targeted a meeting of senior Hamas members.

The U.S. side has voiced concerns over the increasing civilian casualties among Palestinians during these airstrikes. This is because Prime Minister Netanyahu’s operations not only threaten the Peace Committee’s disarmament plan for Hamas but could also violate the 20 provisions for ending the Gaza war that he accepted from Trump in September of last year.

Special Envoy Kushner also raised an additional issue: Prime Minister Netanyahu is reportedly refusing to allow new police recruits from Gaza to leave the territory. These individuals were scheduled to undergo training in Egypt. According to the Peace Committee’s disarmament plan, Hamas is supposed to hand over its weapons to a new police force under the National Committee that will oversee the administration of Gaza.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.