From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 17, 2026
Herzog hails centrality of ‘Israel’s security interests’ in US-backed Gaza plan
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
President Isaac Herzog meets with US President Donald Trump’s top aide Jared Kushner in Jerusalem, the president’s office says, following Kushner’s meeting this morning with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the US-backed plan to disarm Hamas and have the IDF gradually withdraw from Gaza.
Senior Board of Peace officials Nickolay Mladenov and Tony Blair, as well as senior advisor Aryeh Lightstone, are also present at the meeting at the President’s Residence.
In a brief readout, Herzog praises the officials’ efforts in “advancing to the next stages in Gaza in accordance with President Trump’s 20-Point Plan,” which the US unveiled ahead of a ceasefire in Gaza last year. Herzog added that he “was impressed that Israel’s security interests are an important and central element of their plan.”
“I commended and encouraged their efforts to ensure a brighter and more secure future for the people of Israel, the people of Gaza, and the entire region,” Herzog says.
He does not appear to reference the disarmament plan, which Netanyahu has rejected and which is currently at issue in the negotiations over Gaza’s future.
The Times of Israel Community.