Jared Kushner to Visit Israel for Gaza Talks Amid Skepticism from Netanyahu's Government

WASHINGTON, August 13. /TASS/. Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, plans to visit Israel next week for talks on the situation in Gaza, the Axios news website reported, citing sources. According to the report, the White House and the US-led Board of Peace "are trying to push forward with the next phase of the Gaza plan, which focuses on disarming Hamas and a potential Israeli withdrawal." Axios pointed out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government "is highly skeptical of the US Gaza plan, and the upcoming election in October is making the issue even more politically sensitive." "We see eye-to-eye on the strategic goal, but Israel has expressed some doubts about the plan and we want to talk to them in order to make sure we are coordinated," a US official said, adding that the exact dates of the trip could change. Kushner is planning to travel to Israel with Nickolay Mladenov, the Gaza Board of Peace high representative, and meet with Netanyahu and other senior officials. Kushner may also visit other countries in the region. A source told TASS on August 8 that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are involved in efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, might visit Moscow and Kiev within 7-10 days.