US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, called for a radical overhaul of financial support for Gaza during a closed-door meeting with European and Arab ministers that launched a nearly €900 million recovery package for the Strip, Euronews has learned.
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Addressing the meeting via video conference, Kushner dismissed the Gaza aid initiatives carried out so far as being “designed step by step by NGOs and terrorists” and called for a fundamental shift in approach to “turn the tide”, according to people familiar with the content of the private talks consulted by Euronews.
While he did not mention the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) by name, his remarks appeared to signal support for sidelining the organisation – a position that could put him at odds with the EU, UNRWA’s largest donor.
Kushner has emerged as a key figure in efforts to secure a major international funding package for Gaza despite holding no formal cabinet position. Alongside his role as Trump’s envoy, he also serves on the Board of Peace, the controversial body chaired by the US president that is expected to oversee the Strip’s reconstruction.
Kushner is married to Ivanka Trump, the US president’s daughter.
His presence at Monday’s meeting carried significant weight thanks to his direct ties to Israel, according to several EU officials.
“Change is like heaven: everyone wants to go there, but nobody wants to die,” Kushner is said to have told the conference, which also included Arab representatives, describing the situation in Gaza as “a perpetual uncapped liability” where living conditions are failing to improve and donors are “constantly putting novocaine on the problem”.
Kushner made a clear link between the current humanitarian aid system and the indirect financing of Hamas, claiming that a consistent flow of money has fallen into the hands of Hamas, which used it to buy weapons, build tunnels, and develop rockets. Israel accuses UNRWA of connections with terrorist groups, but the group denies diverting any aid.
Disarming Hamas was a central theme of Kushner’s speech. He made clear that reconstruction cannot succeed while armed groups retain military capabilities, stressing the principle of “one government with one gun”.
Kushner argued that efforts to rebuild Gaza would fail unless Hamas was demilitarised, the people said. He also appeared to take a veiled swipe at those attending the conference, saying the ultimate goal should be to ensure there would be no need for another international donor meeting on Gaza.
The overall tone of Kushner’s remarks, however, was conciliatory, according to diplomats briefed, with an emphasis on cooperation with the EU and regional partners.
He singled out Arab states for their experience in rapidly building cities for millions of people, arguing that they were best placed to help reimagine a future for Gaza’s more than two million residents, and also praised Egypt and Turkey.
Kushner was invited to the conference by EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica, who has invested considerable diplomatic effort in cultivating ties with him since the first – and so far only – meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington last February.
Her visit came amid criticism from several EU member states, who argued that the UN, rather than the Board of Peace, should be leading the talks.
“Only a collective effort can help rebuild Gaza,” Šuica said after the meeting, without commenting directly on Kushner’s role or his remarks during the closed-door session.