Trump holds Gaza policy meeting with Tony Blair, Jared Kushner

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Reuters
27 Aug 2025 23:43
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President Trump holds a Gaza policy session with Tony Blair and Jared Kushner to discuss aid, captives, and a post-war plan amid mounting humanitarian concerns.

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A displaced Palestinian woman holds her baby as she talks with children in a destroyed school used as a shelter in Gaza City, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (AP)

President Donald Trump convened a Gaza policy meeting on Wednesday at the White House, joined by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Middle East envoy Jared Kushner, a senior official told Reuters.

The session focused on several key issues related to the ongoing war on Gaza, including the acceleration of humanitarian aid, the captive crisis, and potential post-war plans. According to the official, the meeting was described as “simply a policy meeting,” the type Trump regularly holds with his senior team.

Kushner, Blair return to Middle East policy circles

Kushner, who played a central role in Trump’s first-term Middle East policies, returned to the table alongside Blair, who remains active in regional diplomacy. Blair previously served as the Quartet’s special envoy and was Prime Minister during the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.

Both figures provided input on strategic developments in Gaza, where months of conflict and blockade have led to a worsening humanitarian crisis.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff previewed the meeting during an appearance on Fox News, stating, “It is a very comprehensive plan we are putting together on the next day (in Gaza), and many people are going to see how robust it is and how well-meaning it is. It reflects President Trump's humanitarian motives here.”

Trump under pressure over Gaza

President Trump had promised a swift end to the war during last year’s presidential campaign. His second term began with a ceasefire that lasted two months until "Israel" broke the agreement on March 18, killing around 400 Palestinians, effectively ending the truce.

Seven months into his new term, a resolution remains elusive. Global outrage has intensified over harrowing images of starving Palestinians in Gaza, particularly children, which have raised fresh scrutiny over "Israel’s" conduct in the war.

“President Trump has been clear that he wants the war to end, and he wants peace and prosperity for everyone in the region,” a second White House official stated. “The White House has nothing additional to share on the meeting at this time.”

Ceasefire obstructed

Hamas recently announced it had accepted a partial truce proposal mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with readiness for a broader deal, but accused Netanyahu of blocking progress.

In a statement on Sunday, the movement said Netanyahu’s approval of a Gaza occupation plan “confirms his insistence on obstructing an agreement,” pointing out that both Israeli and American admissions prove he is the main obstacle to prisoner exchange and ceasefire arrangements.

Hamas emphasized that only a ceasefire agreement can secure the release of captives, holding Netanyahu fully responsible for their fate, and urged international pressure to end “genocide and the use of starvation against the Palestinian people.”