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New Delhi . America has intensified its diplomatic efforts to take forward the long pending ceasefire deal in Gaza. US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and US negotiator Jared Kushner met Hamas chief Khalil Al Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. This meeting between the two leaders lasted for more than two hours. Officials from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey were also present in the conversation. This meeting is being considered important in terms of ceasefire efforts in Gaza because for a long time there has been no agreement between Israel and Hamas on many important issues.

Kushner's meeting with the Hamas leader is part of US President Trump's effort to advance his 15-point Gaza roadmap. The proposal includes issues such as a ceasefire in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza along with the withdrawal of weapons from Hamas and the reconstruction of the war-affected area. Hamas has expressed its commitment to this plan but Israel has not yet accepted it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed.

During the talks held in Egypt, Hamas also made its conditions clear. Hamas says that before implementing any plan, Israel will have to stop military attacks in Gaza and withdraw its forces to the so-called Yellow Line. After this, 14 days of talks can begin in which the timeline for implementing the ceasefire plan and other important issues will be discussed. On the other hand, Israel's biggest condition is the complete disarmament of Hamas. This issue remains one of the biggest obstacles in the way of agreement between the two sides.

Kushner's role is also considered important at this time because he is among the prominent faces taking forward the talks on behalf of the Trump administration. After meeting with Hamas, he is also proposed to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump's Board of Peace director Nikolai Mladenov will also attend this meeting. Its objective is to reduce the differences existing between the two sides and to explore possibilities of taking the proposed roadmap forward.

Amidst American efforts, many Muslim and Arab countries have also appealed to Israel to accept Trump's plan. Many countries including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey have demanded a positive attitude on the proposal to end the conflict in Gaza.

However, the situation on the ground still remains challenging. The standoff continues over the Israeli army's control over large parts of Gaza and the issue of Hamas giving up weapons. At such a time, Kushner's direct meeting with the Hamas leader is being seen as an attempt by America to increase pressure on both the sides and take the talks to a possible agreement. Now all eyes are on Kushner's conversation with Netanyahu and the stance that emerges thereafter. If both sides show some flexibility in their key terms, there may be hope for progress towards a long-pending ceasefire agreement in Gaza.