Jared Kushner arrives in Israel for Gaza talks with Netanyahu, source says

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JERUSALEM (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump’s influential son-in-law, Jared Kushner, arrived in Israel on Sunday for talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on implementing the U.S. plan to end the Gaza war, a source familiar with the matter said.

Kushner was expected to meet with Netanyahu on Monday, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity as the meeting had not been formally announced. The White House and Netanyahu’s office did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Trump announced a 20-point plan in September to end the two-year-old war in the Palestinian territory, starting with a ceasefire that came into effect on October 10 and the handover of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

The militant group has released 20 living hostages and the remains of 24 hostages from Gaza since October 10. There are four deceased hostages whose remains are still being held in Gaza.

The next phase of the ceasefire is supposed to see the standing up of a multinational force that would gradually take over security inside Gaza from the Israeli military.

An Israeli government spokesperson said earlier on Sunday that there would be “no Turkish boots on the ground” in Gaza as part of that multinational force.

Asked about Israel’s objections to Turkish forces in Gaza, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said at a Manama security conference earlier this month that Turkey would participate.

Vice President JD Vance said last month there would be a “constructive role” for Ankara to play but that Washington wouldn’t force anything on Israel when it came to foreign troops “on their soil”.

(Reporting by Alexander CornwellEditing by Alison Williams and Frances Kerry)