The U.S. ambassador to Israel said on the 18th that Israeli forces need not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas is "completely disarmed." He denied reports of a clash on the 17th between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Jared Kushner over the next p

2026-08-19

The U.S. ambassador to Israel said on the 18th that Israeli forces need not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas is "completely disarmed." He denied reports of a clash on the 17th between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Jared Kushner over the next phase of a Gaza peace plan, saying the U.S. does not expect Israel to withdraw while Hamas still holds weapons. He added the U.S. and Israel have reached a "good" agreement. President Trump has said Hamas must be disarmed and barred from future Gaza governance.