US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza has been put on hold since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, sources told Reuters on Monday.
They said talks on the disarmament of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and other matters were put on hold when the war in Iran began on February 28.
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Among other things, Trump and Israel are demanding that Hamas in Gaza give up its weapons in order to end the conflict in the region – a demand that the militant group has refused to accept.
“Hamas must IMMEDIATELY live up to its commitments, including the return of ultimate authority to Israel, and proceed with full demilitarization without delay,” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier this year. “As I said before, they can make it easy or difficult,” he said.
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Reuters reported that Trump’s plan for Gaza hinged in part on Hamas militants laying down their arms in exchange for amnesty. This is one step to pave the way for the reconstruction and further drawdown of the Israeli military.
White House mediators turned between Israel and Hamas on the issue of disarmament.
A pause in talks over Gaza threatens to halt implementation of Trump’s flagship Middle East peace initiative.
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The news comes less than a month after Trump secured billions of dollars in pledges for Gaza from the Gulf Arab states – countries now facing Iranian attacks as the conflict escalates.
Hamas confirmed the suspension of negotiations on the Trump plan
A Hamas official reportedly confirmed that talks on Trump’s Gaza plan have been frozen for now, but declined to elaborate. The Israeli government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The White House did not immediately comment.
One Reuters source with direct knowledge of the work of Trump’s Board of Peace mission described the pause as a short, minor delay caused by a flight disruption that prevents mediators and representatives from traveling around the region.
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Interviews were often held in Cairo.
In the long term, the Peace Council believes that war could accelerate the resolution of the disarmament problem by removing Iranian influence, which has long financially supported Hamas, the source said.
Another source – a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort – said Hamas was expected to hold talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators on the day the war broke out, but the meeting was canceled and no new date had been set.
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The Israeli military has scaled back attacks in Gaza since the start of the war, but has not stopped attacks, citing threats from Hamas, as Israeli planes carry out bombing campaigns in Iran and Lebanon. At least 16 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since February 28, health officials say.
“The moment the war with Iran ends, (Israel) will come back to us with the same frequency, with the same violence,” said Talal Hamouda, 46, who lives in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip with his wife and five children.
For its part, Hamas has continued to strengthen its control over areas under its control in Gaza since the beginning of the war. Sources close to the group say Hamas fighters have ambushed several Israeli-backed militiamen in northern and southern Gaza in recent days, killing at least two people.
