U.S. envoy Jared Kushner attributes the lack of progress on Gaza to upcoming Israeli elections: “Makes them a little irrational”

September 7, 2026 / 2:03 PM EDT / CBS News

President Trump's special envoy Jared Kushner directly linked the lack of progress on the rehabilitation of the war-torn Gaza Strip to upcoming Israeli elections.

Israel will hold elections in late October, and polls show it is a tight race between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his opponents.

"We're working through some political issues in Israel. I think we agree with them on the end state," said Kushner, who was speaking at a conference on Sunday in Kyiv, where he was holding talks to end the Russia-Ukraine war. "They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards."

Kushner's remarks are a rare and candid criticism of Netanyahu's government by a senior Trump administration official over the conservative Israeli leader's Gaza policy.

U.S. efforts to advance plans to disarm Gaza militant group Hamas and open the way for investment into rebuilding the devastated Palestinian enclave have stalled amid disagreements with Israel and Hamas about the proposed roadmap.

Large parts of Gaza were destroyed during the war sparked by Hamas' attack on Israel nearly three years ago. Many Palestinians are still living in tent encampments…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/