Cairo, Egypt. Envoys from U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” met Hamas representatives in Cairo, sources said, as they sought to safeguard the Gaza ceasefire amid renewed strain after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran.
Meeting and subsequent border announcement
Three sources told Reuters the weekend meeting was the first publicly reported contact since the start of the Iran war between Hamas and the board, a new international body personally headed by Trump and tasked with overseeing post-war Gaza.
After the meeting, Israel announced on Sunday that it would soon reopen the sole crossing for pedestrians between Gaza and Egypt, which has been shut since the Iran bombing campaign began. One source said he believed the Israeli announcement was a direct result of the meeting.
Warnings over ceasefire commitments
The sources said Hamas representatives warned the board that the group could back away from previous promises under the Gaza ceasefire if Israel maintains new restrictions on Gaza imposed during the Iran war.
Israel shut Gaza’s borders after the war’s launch on February 28, saying crossings could not be operated safely. It later resumed a limited flow of goods and aid but kept the sole pedestrian crossing into Egypt, at Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge, closed. Israel said on Sunday it would reopen the crossing later this week following a “security assessment”.
Gaza plan and stalled disarmament talks
Prior to the war in Iran, Trump’s plan for Gaza was his flagship initiative for the Middle East.
Reuters has previously reported that talks on the disarmament of Hamas, intended to be a focus of the next phase of Trump’s plan, have been on hold since the start of the Iran war.
U.S. participation and expected follow-up meetings
One source said Trump’s board was represented in the talks with Hamas by Aryeh Lightstone, an American aide to Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. Two other sources said meetings that included Lightstone were on the agenda but could not confirm whether he had attended.
Further meetings were expected this week, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
A U.S. official said Lightstone had attended Gaza-related meetings in Cairo in the past several days, without confirming whether he met with the Hamas delegation. The official said U.S. negotiators were continuing to meet regional partners to fulfil Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza.
How do you think the reopening of the Rafah pedestrian crossing could affect the Gaza ceasefire?