Overview

• Operating outside a formal post, Jared Kushner joined special envoy Steve Witkoff in Sharm El Sheikh to help close talks that produced the first phase of a Gaza agreement.
• The initial terms described include a pause in Israeli operations and the release of 20 living hostages by Hamas, with U.S. officials cautioning the arrangement remains fragile.
• Kushner met Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, attended the Israeli cabinet session that ratified the deal, and is remaining in the region to monitor implementation.
• President Trump credited Kushner’s regional know-how, and officials characterized Kushner and Witkoff as key architects of a 20‑point plan the administration links to potential Arab‑Israel normalization.
• Criticism over potential conflicts of interest has intensified given Kushner’s Gulf-funded Affinity Partners and its role in the $55 billion Electronic Arts purchase, even as the White House defends his role and Michael Wolff’s profit‑motive allegation remains unverified commentary.