Danish political scientist Rasmus Brun Pedersen says an agreement between Israel and Hamas remains very hard to imagine, despite optimism from U.S. envoy Jared Kushner after his talks with both sides.
DR reported on August 18, 2026, that the negotiations are entering what Brun Pedersen calls a critical phase. He holds a PhD in international politics and is an associate professor at the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University.
Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, has described his recent meetings as very good. As reported by NPR, he said progress in the Gaza negotiations could come within about 30 days. NPR also noted that the talks produced no firm commitment to the latest U.S. plan.
According to Al Jazeera, Kushner held a rare meeting with Hamas leaders in Egypt around August 16. Reuters reported that he then met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on August 17 for several hours of talks. Reuters stated that the meetings ended without a breakthrough, with both sides holding firm on key demands.
Brun Pedersen told DR that it is difficult to imagine a compromise between the two parties. He asked why Hamas would lay down its weapons now, and why Israel would accept a plan that does not let it control all of Gaza. Per DR, he said a deal would require trust, for example an Israeli halt to attacks and Hamas disarmament.
Trust at zero, according to the Danish expert
Brun Pedersen said trust is currently at zero, leaving neither side an incentive to move first. He added that Washington’s end goal is reconstruction and long-term stabilization with regional actors involved. According to him, the long-term strategy and the tools available to the United States remain entirely unclear.
The talks concern Trump’s 15-point roadmap for the total disarmament of Hamas in Gaza, announced by the president on behalf of his Board of Peace. The Guardian reported that Netanyahu publicly rejected the document on August 9, 2026. He said Israel would not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is genuinely disarmed of all weapons, and Israel has continued its Gaza offensive.
Reuters reported that Hamas accepts the roadmap in principle, but ties implementation to Israeli troop withdrawal and an end to attacks. During the Jerusalem meeting, U.S. and Israeli officials agreed that no reconstruction would begin before Hamas is fully disarmed, Reuters added. Al Jazeera reported that Kushner said the United States has a plan to rebuild Gaza, but will not allow rebuilding before demilitarization.
Reuters and Al Jazeera reported that Kushner’s trip was arranged soon after Netanyahu’s rejection of the plan. The stated aim was to revive the roadmap and narrow differences between Israel, Hamas and regional mediators.
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