Kushner meets Egypt's al-Sisi at El Alamein to push Trump's 15-point Gaza roadmap

Kushner meets al-Sisi at El Alamein

Jared Kushner, serving as White House special envoy and son-in-law of President Donald Trump, travelled to El Alamein on 16 August 2026 for talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The Egyptian presidency said the meeting focused on implementing the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. A statement from the Egyptian presidency spokesperson recalled the need for all parties to respect their obligations under the ceasefire agreement. The visit comes amid persistent disagreements between Israel and Hamas that continue to complicate the American push for the plan's second phase.

Hamas delegation holds parallel talks

Shortly before the Kushner-al-Sisi meeting, Egyptian officials held contacts with a Hamas delegation at El Alamein. According to the Egyptian news agency Mena, the delegation was led by Khalil al-Haya, described as the newly appointed leader of Hamas's political wing, and met with Hassan Rashad, head of Egyptian intelligence services. A Hamas official said the talks concerned efforts to persuade Israel to abide by the agreement, which includes a 15-point roadmap, and to begin its implementation. The delegation also intended to inform the Egyptian side of incidents that Hamas considers ceasefire violations by Israel.

The 15-point roadmap and its obstacles

Hamas gave its approval in late July 2026 to the American 15-point roadmap, which aims to launch the second phase of the Trump plan for Gaza. The roadmap includes the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territory. According to Deutsche Welle, al-Haya was set to declare readiness to accept the installation of an interim government of Palestinian technocrats, as the roadmap specifies. However, on Sunday 9 August 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear he rejects the Peace Council's roadmap, demanding what he called real disarmament of Hamas. This remains one of the main points of friction.

Turkey and Egypt coordinate

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met his Egyptian counterpart at the Egyptian resort of El Alamein during a working session on 13 and 14 August 2026. Fidan stated that Turkey and Egypt plan to take "more decisive measures" to stop Israeli operations in Gaza, increase the flow of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory, and implement the Trump peace plan. Fidan and his Egyptian counterpart chose not to specify what exactly those measures would be. A Hamas source said there are "contacts and conversations" with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators to persuade Israel to abide by the agreement.

Erdogan weighs in

In an interview with Al Jazeera set to be broadcast on 16 August 2026, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the situation in Gaza. He praised the goodwill Hamas has shown regarding its willingness to see the American peace plan implemented, and criticized the negative stance maintained by the Israeli government. According to Deutsche Welle, Israeli Channel 13 reported that Kushner is expected to arrive in the region on 17 August, while Al Jazeera referred only to "the coming days." Al Jazeera also reported that Kushner will first meet in Cairo with a Hamas delegation and negotiators from Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, and then travel to Tel Aviv to meet Netanyahu. NewsIT reported that Kushner will visit Israel next week in an effort to narrow the differences.