Jared Kushner, Tony Blair participate in Gaza meeting at the White House, sources say
Jared Kushner looks on during a swearing-in ceremony of Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in the Oval Office at the White House on May 6.
By Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, CNN
(CNN) — Jared Kushner and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair participated in President Donald Trump’s meeting at the White House on Wednesday about a plan for post-war Gaza, sources familiar with the matter said, as the administration looks for ways to bring the nearly two-year conflict to an end.
Steve Witkoff, the president’s foreign envoy, and other top administration aides also participated, one of the sources said. The meeting in the Oval Office lasted for more than an hour. The exact contours of the plan discussed weren’t immediately clear.
Kushner, who is Trump’s son-in-law and was an influential adviser during his first administration, has quietly advised administration officials on Middle East issues since Trump returned to office in January. He doesn’t hold an official role inside the White House.
One of the areas Kushner has been discussing with current administration officials is what will happen to Gaza once Israel’s war is over, one of the sources said.
Kushner’s attendance at the meeting was first reported by Axios.
Witkoff revealed plans for the meeting in an interview on Fox News an evening earlier. He said the president would chair the gathering to discuss a plan for Gaza once the war there ends.
“It’s a very comprehensive plan we’re putting together on the next day that I think many people are going to be – they’re going to see how robust it is and how well-meaning it is,” Witkoff said. “And it reflects President Trump’s humanitarian motives here.”
The White House revealed little else about the meeting, which Witkoff said would be “large.”
“President Trump has been clear that he wants the war to end, and he wants peace and prosperity for everyone in the region. The White House has nothing additional to share on the meeting at this time,” a White House official said.
Little is known about the contours of Trump’s post-war plan, including specifics of how the devastated enclave would be rebuilt and who would govern the territory.
The US and Israel have stated unequivocally that Hamas can no longer control Gaza once the war ends, leaving open the question of who would provide security and basic services.
The president himself has said little about his vision for the strip, beyond the proposal he floated in February for a US takeover of Gaza, removal of its residents and redevelopment into a “Middle Eastern Riviera.”
The idea caused shock when Trump revealed it alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but it’s been barely mentioned again in the months since.
The president’s son-in-law, who served as a chief Middle East negotiator in Trump’s first term and built deep relationships with leaders in the region, informally advised administration officials on negotiations with Arab leaders ahead of the president’s visit to the Middle East in May.
Kushner is also close with Netanyahu, with whom he has close family ties dating back decades.
This story and headline have been updated with additional details
The-CNN-Wire
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