Trump admin urging Israel to allow terrorists free passage past IDF-controlled Gaza
According to the Saudi broadcaster al-Hadath, Kushner told the prime minister that the United States wants Hamas terrorists to go to Hamas-controlled areas or go to another country.
The US administration has made it clear to Israel that it wants to quickly resolve the crisis regarding 100 to 200 terrorists in the tunnels in Rafah, a US official told The Jerusalem Post.
“We believe that they should be allowed to leave with immunity after the body of the kidnapped soldier, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, is handed over,” the official said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US President Donald Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner.
Kushner told the prime minister that the United States wants Hamas terrorists to leave Hamas-controlled areas or go to another country in order to prevent a crisis, Saudi news channel Al Hadath reported.
Kushner reportedly told Netanyahu, “Finding a solution to this problem will play a pilot role in the disarmament of Hamas.”
Yellow sign depicts the Yellow Line under the ceasefire agreement in Gaza on November 2, 2025. (Source: REUTERS/Ebrahim Hajjaj)
An Israeli official said after the meeting that “an agreement has not yet been reached regarding the terrorists in Rafah”, but added: “Meanwhile, Israel continues to clear the area in Rafah.
Mediators held intensive talks to find a solution
Behind the scenes, the mediating parties (Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye) are engaged in intense discussions to find a solution. “Türkiye is playing a major role in this, in part to prove that it should be included in the international Gaza task force,” a source with knowledge of the details told the Post.
It seems that Türkiye does not give up easily on taking part in the planned stabilization force. Ankara has reportedly begun recruiting 2,000 volunteers from across the Turkish military to take part in the task force it wants to deploy to Gaza.
Officials in the Trump administration are pressuring Israel to accept the Turkish presence. However, Israeli sources are adamant that “this will not happen”.
According to Al Hadath, another issue that came up in the meeting between Netanyahu and Kushner was the security agreement between Israel and Syria.
A source familiar with the matter said the US administration wants to hold another round of talks between senior Israeli and Syrian officials in the near future. “The gaps are small, there is no reason why an agreement cannot be reached,” the source told the Post.
On Monday, Syrian President Ahmed Al Shara met with Trump The issue was also discussed in Washington. The Syrian president is reportedly interested in reaching an agreement in part to encourage the lifting of sanctions against Syria, an issue Sharaa has raised in meetings with members of Congress.
