The US president’s plan for a post-war Gaza is under pressure amid a war with Iran and continued Israeli attacks on the Palestinian enclave.
Reuters reported that Hamas held its first talks with a newly established US-led peace council as the post-war Gaza reconstruction plan came under pressure from the Iran war and continued Israeli attacks on the enclave.
The Board of Peace – an international body formally established in mid-January as part of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace roadmap – includes business figures and officials from many countries. Critics have questioned its mandate and the absence of Palestinian political representation. The council’s activities have been largely suspended in recent weeks as Muslim member states have expressed anger over the US-Israeli bombing of Iran and debated whether to get involved.
According to Reuters, citing its sources on Monday, the meeting took place late last week at an undisclosed location in the region and focused on saving elements of Trump’s initiative, including a long-term ceasefire and a reconstruction program overseen by the council. The talks have been described as preliminary, with no concrete progress announced.
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Israel’s Gaza ‘ceasefire’ death toll rises to over 600
Hamas officials reportedly used the encounter to demand the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt, which Israel closed after its airstrikes on Iran. The militant group has warned that if Rafah is closed and humanitarian access is not restored, it could walk away from ceasefire agreements.
Despite a formal agreement last October that ended Israel’s two-year war in Gaza, the IDF continues to carry out strikes. At least 12 people, including children, were reported killed in Sunday’s attacks, bringing the death toll since the ceasefire to more than 600. The overall figures have crossed 72,000, health officials in the enclave said.
The Gaza War erupted on October 7, 2023 after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded with a massive air and ground campaign and blockade, which severely restricted food, fuel and medical supplies, prompting accusations of genocide.
At its inaugural meeting last month, the council pledged more than $7 billion to rebuild Gaza and promised to deploy thousands of personnel to international stabilization and police forces in the territory. Although more than two dozen countries have formally joined, major Western powers have largely rejected full membership. Russia has not formally joined but said it has accepted the invitation and is studying the proposal.
