According to Reuters, envoys from Donald Trump’s Peace Council met in Cairo with representatives of Hamas in an attempt to maintain the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which is being tested following the outbreak of war between the United States and Israel against Iran. Specifically, the meeting took place over the weekend in the Egyptian capital. There, Hamas, which is supported by Tehran, reportedly discussed with representatives of the American Council, a body under Donald Trump’s presidency that has taken on an oversight role in Gaza’s post-war management.
Read: Iran: “Leadership doesn’t collapse, war outcome uncertain” – What US intelligence services report
Reuters: The goal of the talks
According to three sources who spoke to Reuters, the main objective of the talks was to prevent the collapse of the ceasefire agreement in the Palestinian enclave, as the regional conflict has directly affected the balance of power in the region. Following the meeting, Israel announced the reopening of the Rafah crossing. Shortly after the Cairo meeting, Israel announced plans to soon reopen the only pedestrian crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The Rafah crossing had been closed since the beginning of the military campaign against Iran. One source estimates that the Israeli decision is directly connected to the talks between Hamas and the American council.
Before the outbreak of the conflict with Iran, Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza was the central initiative of the American government in the Middle East. However, the escalation of conflicts in the region appears to have slowed its implementation.
Sources reported that Hamas representatives warned the American council that the organization might withdraw from commitments it had undertaken within the framework of the ceasefire if Israel maintains the new restrictive measures it imposed on Gaza during the war with Iran.
Israel closed Gaza’s borders after the conflict began on February 28, arguing that the crossings could not operate safely. It subsequently allowed limited flows of goods and humanitarian aid again, but kept the only pedestrian crossing to Egypt at Rafah closed. Yesterday it announced plans to reopen it within the week following a “security assessment”.
What sources report about upcoming meetings
Reuters has previously reported that talks on Hamas disarmament — which were supposed to be a key element of the next phase of Trump’s Gaza plan — have been frozen since the start of the war with Iran. According to one source, the Peace Council was represented in talks with Hamas by Arie Lightstone, an associate of Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. Two other sources said meetings involving Lightstone were on the agenda, though they could not confirm whether he ultimately participated.
Further meetings are expected to take place during the week. An American official stated that Lightstone participated in recent days in meetings in Cairo concerning Gaza, without confirming whether he met with a Hamas delegation. As he added, American negotiators continue contacts with regional partners for implementing Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza.
The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the decision to reopen the Rafah crossing is connected to the Cairo talks, while Hamas also declined to comment.
