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The United States will not allow the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip until Hamas gives up its weapons, US special envoy Jared Kushner has said.
Kushner made the remarks in an interview with Fox News after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
He said the US has a plan to rebuild Gaza but would not permit reconstruction until the territory is fully demilitarised.
“We have a plan for the reconstruction of Gaza, but we will not allow it to be rebuilt until there is disarmament,” Kushner said.
He argued that no one would want to invest in rebuilding Gaza if there were a risk that the area could again fall under the control of militants and be destroyed.
The US-backed roadmap calls for Hamas to disarm in phases while Israel withdraws its forces from Gaza.
However, Israel has insisted on Hamas’ complete disarmament before any withdrawal, while Hamas has demanded a ceasefire and Israeli pullout as part of the process.
Kushner recently held talks with Hamas leaders in Egypt before meeting Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
The talks ended without a major breakthrough, although the US and Israel agreed to establish working groups focusing on disarmament and public health.