Jared Kushner, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy and son-in-law, and Nikolay Mladenov, Trump's Saudi envoy to the Gaza Strip on the Gaza Strip, met in Cairo on Sunday (August 16) with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey to advance Trump's proposed peace plan for Gaza. However, even as diplomatic efforts intensify, the Israeli military continues its airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, casting a shadow over the prospects for a ceasefire.

I. Intensive diplomatic efforts have been launched, but core differences remain difficult to bridge.

Diplomatic sources revealed that Hamas officials attended some of the talks with the mediators and communicated directly with Kushner and Mladenov. The day before, Hamas Political Bureau Chairman Khalil Haya met with Hassan Rashad, head of Egypt's General Intelligence Directorate, in Cairo on August 16, focusing on the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This was Haya's first visit to Egypt since assuming leadership of Hamas in late July. Kushner and Mladenov were scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on August 17. However, Netanyahu publicly stated on August 9 that Trump's Gaza peace plan was "unacceptable." At a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu clearly stated that Israel rejects Trump's 15-point peace proposal and emphasized that the Israeli army will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas achieves "genuine, comprehensive, and verifiable disarmament." He also stated that he will never accept the establishment of a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank.

II. Israel's continued airstrikes on Gaza have rendered the ceasefire agreement ineffective.

Despite ongoing diplomatic communication, the Israeli military's operations in Gaza have not ceased. On August 16, the Israeli military stated that its warplanes attacked militants from the Islamic Jihad and Hamas in Khan Younis in southern Gaza and Nuserrat in central Gaza, respectively. Gaza medical personnel reported that at least five Palestinians were injured in an airstrike on a tent camp in Khan Younis. Nasser Hospital staff later stated that one of the injured died from their injuries. An apartment in the Nuserrat refugee camp was also hit in the airstrike, causing multiple injuries. Senior Israeli officials revealed that Israel is concerned about Washington's demands to stop targeted assassinations of Hamas militants in Gaza, as Hamas is rebuilding its strength. Data shows that since the ceasefire agreement came into effect in October 2025, Israeli violations of the ceasefire have resulted in at least 1,262 Palestinian deaths and 4,168 injuries. During the same period, according to Israeli statistics, four Israeli soldiers were killed by militants in Gaza. Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, the total number of deaths, as estimated by the Palestinian side, has exceeded 73,000, with more than 174,000 injured and approximately 90% of the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip destroyed.

III. Trump's Peace Plan Framework and the Positions of Various Parties

In September 2025, Trump proposed a 20-point plan to end the Gaza conflict, with core elements including a ceasefire, hostage exchange, humanitarian aid, and rebuilding Gaza's future security architecture. On October 9, 2025, Israel and Hamas, through mediation by Egypt, Qatar, the United States, and Turkey, agreed to implement the first phase of Trump's peace plan. The ceasefire agreement officially took effect in Gaza the following day. In January 2026, the US announced the launch of the second phase of the peace plan, shifting the focus from a ceasefire to the demilitarization, technocratic governance, and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. According to the plan, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups will disarm in phases, and Israeli troops will gradually withdraw from Gaza. To this end, the US established a "Peace Commission," chaired by Trump himself, with founding executive committee members including Secretary of State Rubio, Special Envoy Witkov, Kushner, and former British Prime Minister Blair, among others. Hamas has expressed its agreement to the plan to avoid a renewed conflict, but emphasized that the implementation of the agreement depends on Israel first fulfilling its own commitments, including withdrawing troops and ceasing attacks. Hamas insists that disarmament is contingent on Israel ceasing its military operations in the Gaza Strip and withdrawing from Gaza. Israel, on the other hand, demands that Hamas completely disarm before initiating the withdrawal process.

IV. The G8 Joint Statement Condemns Israel

In response to Israel's hardline stance, regional countries reacted strongly. On August 16, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia issued a joint statement condemning Israel's public rejection of the Gaza peace plan roadmap. The statement pointed out that Israel's position directly negated the roadmap, fundamentally undermining collective efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace. The statement also emphasized that Israel bears responsibility for the obstacles hindering efforts to achieve peace in the Gaza Strip and other occupied Palestinian territories. The roadmap had previously been accepted by various Palestinian factions and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803. The eight foreign ministers stressed in the statement that the United States must continue its active participation to ensure Israel's full compliance with the commitments and arrangements outlined in the peace plan and its roadmap.

Editor's Summary

The Gaza peace process is currently at a critical crossroads. Diplomatically, the Trump administration, through Kushner and Mladenov, has been actively mediating in the Middle East, attempting to push for the second phase of the peace plan. Hamas has stated its acceptance of the plan's framework but insists on an Israeli withdrawal and cessation of attacks as prerequisites. However, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's public rejection constitutes the biggest obstacle—his insistence that Hamas's "genuine disarmament" must take precedence over Israeli withdrawal directly conflicts with the order of the peace plan's implementation. Militarily, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have not ceased despite diplomatic efforts; since the ceasefire agreement took effect, over 1,260 Palestinians have died, and the cycle of violence continues. Regionally, the G8 joint statement signifies a further escalation of collective opposition from the Arab and Islamic world to Israel's position, and international pressure is building. Whether the peace plan can break the current deadlock depends on whether the United States can find a mutually acceptable compromise between Israel and Hamas, and whether Netanyahu is willing to make concessions under domestic election pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the core elements of Trump's Gaza peace plan? A: Trump proposed a "20-point plan" in September 2025, with the second phase launching in January 2026. The core of the plan includes: phased disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups; a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza; the establishment of a transitional Palestinian technocratic governance body to manage Gaza; and the initiation of reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip. The US has established a "Peace Commission," chaired by Trump, to oversee its implementation. The plan has been endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803. Q: Why did Israel reject the plan? A: Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly rejected the plan on August 9, calling it "unacceptable." The core disagreement lies in the order of withdrawal and disarmament. Netanyahu insists that Hamas must first achieve "genuine, comprehensive, and verifiable disarmament"—not only surrendering heavy weapons but also light weapons—before Israeli troops can withdraw from Gaza. The peace plan, however, arranges for disarmament and withdrawal to proceed simultaneously or in phases. In addition, Netanyahu stated that he would never accept the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank. Q: What has been the casualty situation in Gaza since the ceasefire agreement took effect? A: Since the ceasefire agreement took effect in October 2025, Israeli military operations have resulted in at least 1,262 Palestinian deaths and 4,168 injuries. During the same period, four Israeli soldiers were killed by militants in Gaza. Since the outbreak of conflict on October 7, 2023, the total number of Palestinian deaths has exceeded 73,000, with over 174,000 injured, and approximately 90% of the infrastructure in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed. Hamas typically does not release specific figures on combat casualties. Q: What is Hamas's position on the peace plan? A: Hamas has expressed its agreement with the plan to avoid a renewed conflict. However, Hamas emphasizes that the implementation of the agreement depends on Israel first fulfilling its own commitments, including ceasing military operations and withdrawing its troops from the Gaza Strip. Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naeem stated that Hamas continues to await pressure from the mediators and the United States to force Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the peace plan roadmap. Q: What are the main contents of the G8 joint statement? A: On August 16, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia issued a joint statement condemning Israel's public rejection of the Gaza peace plan roadmap. The statement pointed out that Israel's position directly negates the roadmap, fundamentally undermining collective efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, and that Israel bears responsibility for the obstacles encountered in efforts to achieve peace in the Gaza Strip and other occupied Palestinian territories. The statement also emphasized that the United States must continue its active participation to ensure Israel's full compliance with its peace plan commitments. Q: What impact will this have on international oil prices? A: The current Gaza conflict provides geopolitical support for international oil prices, with Brent crude remaining below $89 per barrel and WTI crude around $83 per barrel. The recurring conflict casts a shadow over the prospects for peace talks, and the market continues to factor in Middle East risk premiums. However, since the conflict between Israel and Hamas does not directly threaten major oil-producing regions or shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, its short-term boost to oil prices is relatively limited. The real driving force behind recent oil price fluctuations is the US-Iran standoff and the risk of a Strait of Hormuz blockade—Middle Eastern crude oil shipments have fallen from 20 million barrels per day in early July to 12 million barrels per day at the end of July, and supply disruptions have shifted from a "risk premium" to a "physical supply gap." The situation in Gaza is more of a catalyst for risk sentiment than a core driver of oil prices. At 09:53 Beijing time, Brent crude oil was trading at $88.83 per barrel.