Key facts
- Jared Kushner proposed a new approach to Gaza aid distribution to EU and Arab ministers.
- He suggested current aid efforts are indirectly financing Hamas.
- Kushner called for the demilitarization of Hamas as a prerequisite for reconstruction.
- He indicated that Arab states are best positioned to lead Gaza's rebuilding.
- The meeting launched a nearly €900 million recovery package for Gaza.
Jared Kushner, son-in-law to US President Donald Trump, has called for a radical overhaul of financial support for Gaza, proposing a new approach to aid distribution that breaks with current United Nations practices. Speaking via video conference at a closed-door meeting with European and Arab ministers in Brussels, Kushner dismissed existing aid initiatives as being "designed step by step by NGOs and terrorists," urging a fundamental shift to "turn the tide."
His remarks, according to sources familiar with the private talks, appeared to signal a move away from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), a position that could conflict with the EU, UNRWA's largest donor. Kushner, who holds no formal cabinet position but serves on the Board of Peace overseeing Gaza's reconstruction, linked the current humanitarian aid system to the indirect financing of Hamas, claiming money has been used by the group for weapons and infrastructure.