Middle East updates: Kushner meets Netanyahu in Jerusalem
Netaynahu (center) and Kushner (right) last met in person in October 2025, a meeting also attended by US special envoy Steve Witkoff (left) Image: Chen Junqing/Xinhua/IMAGO Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Israeli PM Netanyahu and US envoy Kushner meet in Jerusalem Israeli minister calls for more "targeted killings" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip Iran says it "finalizing" a deal with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz Welcome to DW's coverage of developments in the Middle East on Monday, 17 August, 2026.
Conflict Background & Triggers
Netaynahu (center) and Kushner (right) last met in person in October 2025, a meeting also attended by US special envoy Steve Witkoff (left) Image: Chen Junqing/Xinhua/IMAGO Skip next section What you need to know What you need to know Israeli PM Netanyahu and US envoy Kushner meet in Jerusalem Israeli minister calls for more "targeted killings" of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip Iran says it "finalizing" a deal with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz Welcome to DW's coverage of
developments in the Middle East on Monday, 17 August, 2026. Skip next section Iran working to finalize Hormuz agreement with Oman 08/17/2026 August 17, 2026 Iran working to finalize Hormuz agreement with Oman Iran 's Foreign Ministry said Monday that it was working to finalize a joint statement with Oman on a plan to manage the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz . Although Baghaei did not elaborate on the plan, previous details have suggested that ships could be expected to enter the key waterway through a route closer to Iran before exiting on a route closer to Oman. It is not expected that ships would have to pay fees or tolls. The announcement came as a 60-day negotiating period to agree a permanent peace deal between the United States and Iran expired, with no word of an extension and both sides seemingly as far apart as they were two months ago.
Operational Developments & Terrain
The US has sought an acceptable deal on reopening the strait before ending its blockade of Iranian ports and it was not immediately clear whether the new Iran-Oman deal would meet Washington's expectations. Skip next section Israeli minister calls for more 'targeted killings' in Gaza 08/17/2026 August 17, 2026 Israeli minister calls for more 'targeted killings' in Gaza Monday's meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu and US envoy Jared Kushner comes after Israel 's national security minister called for dozens more Palestinians
to be killed "every night" in "targeted killings" in the Gaza Strip . Far-right hardliner Itamar Ben-Gvir made the remarks in a podcast with a former Gaza hostage which went live on Saturday evening. They're not even people." Ben-Gvir is the chairman of the "Otzma Yehudit" ("Jewish Power") party and a member of Netanyahu's government, but he said he disagrees with the prime minister's plans for post-war Gaza. Meanwhile, Iran 's deputy foreign minister condemned the comments in a post on social media on Monday morning.
Strategic Objectives & Posture
Israel denies that its actions in Gaza constitute genocide. Skip next section Kushner meets Netanyahu in Jerusalem 08/17/2026 August 17, 2026 Kushner meets Netanyahu in Jerusalem Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted US President Donald Trump 's envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Jerusalem on Monday as a US-backed plan for the governance of the Gaza Strip remained stalled. The meeting, which comes a day after Kushner met with Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya in Cairo, Egypt , was also attended
by Trump's Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair , according to media reports. Earlier this month, Netanyahu publicly rejected a Trump proposal which would have seen the militant group Hamas disarm and Israeli troops withdraw from the Gaza Strip . Trump had said the agreement would be carried out in phases, with Israeli forces gradually replaced in the devastated Palestinian territory by an "International Stabilization Force" which would work alongside a new Palestinian police force.
Analytical Prognosis
Hamas has said it agreed to the plan but the deal has stalled, with Netanyahu insisting that Israel's military will only withdraw once Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza have been completely disarmed. Israeli troops continue to occupy about 60% of the enclave and Netanyahu has previously threatened to advance further. Netanyahu is struggling in the polls ahead of an October 27 general election, with some surveys putting him behind centrist challenger Gadi Eisenkot. Skip next section Welcome to
our coverage 08/17/2026 August 17, 2026 Welcome to our coverage Hello and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in the Middle East on Monday, 17 August, 2026. US President Donald Trump 's son-in-law and envoy Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday as plans for post-war Gaza remain stalled.
Expert Analysis — Pratyush Deo Tiwary
"Senior Analyst, Conflict Studies & Geopolitics: The dataset presented here underscores the accelerating shift in standard operational doctrines in the regional conflict evaluations arena. The indicators reveal a calculated adjustments by actors to establish regional fait accompli before countermeasures can be deployed. Analysts must focus on technical telemetry and geospatial changes over the next two quarters to gauge the efficacy of this pivot."
Related Domain Analysis: Explore our coverage of Indo-Pacific Power Dynamics & Maritime Security.
Key Takeaways
- Verifiable data in the regional conflict evaluations domain points to structural realignment.
- Attribution vectors suggest deliberate exploitation of grey-zone vulnerabilities.
- Immediate operational adjustments are required to restore deterrence thresholds.
- Continuous digital and geospatial tracking provides high-confidence early warning.
Analytical Feedback & Discussion
Share your analytical observations, ask questions, or contribute regional telemetry regarding this briefing.