Kushner Says Gaza Won't Be Rebuilt Until Hamas Disarms
August 17, 2026. Jared Kushner said Gaza will not be rebuilt until Hamas disarms, a Palestinian American reunited with his besieged family in Qusra, and a new aid boat set sail from Britain. Here's each story in brief, with links to the original reporting.
Kushner: No Rebuilding Until Hamas Disarms
President Trump's envoy Jared Kushner said the US will not allow Gaza to be rebuilt until Hamas disarms and will not restrict Israel's right to defend itself, as strikes on Gaza continue.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Palestinian American Reaches Besieged Family
Palestinian American Loui Ridi reached his family's besieged home in Qusra, videos show, after days of settler siege.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Kushner Meets Netanyahu on Gaza Roadmap
After meeting Hamas in Egypt, Jared Kushner met Netanyahu to push Trump's 15-point roadmap, which Israel had rejected.
Sources: Al Jazeera
New Illegal Outpost in the West Bank
Settlers pitched tents for a new illegal outpost, as UN expert Francesca Albanese warned that Israel is using settlers to drive ethnic cleansing.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Gaza's 16-Year-Old Chef
Sixteen-year-old Yasser Ayad has become a social media star by cooking traditional Palestinian dishes in Gaza, Al Jazeera reports.
Sources: Al Jazeera
What Kushner's Hamas Meeting Means
Al Jazeera analyzes why Jared Kushner met Hamas leaders in Egypt and what it means for Trump's 15-point Gaza roadmap, which Israel has rejected.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Doubts on Both Sides About Gaza Plan
Palestinians and Israelis alike voiced scepticism about the US roadmap during Kushner's visit, with strikes continuing and reconstruction stalled.
Sources: Al Jazeera
Likud Picks Its Election Slate
Netanyahu's Likud party held primaries to choose its candidate list ahead of Israel's general election.
Sources: Al Jazeera
World Condemns Settler Violence
Governments and rights groups worldwide condemned the wave of settler attacks, with some urging sanctions and arms restrictions.
Sources: Al Jazeera
The Wider Context
The truce reached in October 2025 ended the full-scale offensive but not the killing. Attacks continue, and restrictions on what can enter Gaza still block any real reconstruction. The recorded death toll in Gaza has passed 73,900, with more than 174,000 injured, according to the health ministry. Over 1,300 of those deaths have come since the truce began.
Sources: Al Jazeera, OCHA
The West Bank has seen its own escalation. UN figures show 275 Palestinian communities hit by settler attacks this year, close to last year's record and the highest since monitoring began in 2006. More than 1,100 Palestinian structures have been demolished this year for lacking building permits, displacing over 1,500 people, more than a third of the 4,300 Palestinians displaced in the West Bank in 2026. Almost every school in Gaza has been damaged or destroyed, and with more than 90 percent of buildings in ruins, people are living in structures that could come down.
Sources: OCHA
Aid agencies say the shortages are now structural, not temporary: without heavy machinery, fuel and engine oil, rubble can't be cleared, water systems can't be fixed, and search and rescue work drags on for days. At the UN, the two-state solution is still the stated goal of the Secretary-General and most member states, even as settlement expansion continues and Palestinian officials call it creeping annexation.
Sources: OCHA
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