From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 16, 2026
Hamas holds talks with Trump’s Board of Peace as Iran war strains Gaza plan — Reuters
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Envoys from US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace have met representatives of Hamas in Cairo in an effort to safeguard the Gaza ceasefire, under serious strain since the US and Israel launched a war with Iran, three sources tell Reuters.
The weekend meeting is the first publicly reported since the start of the Iran war between the terror group, which is backed by Tehran, and the board, which is chaired by Trump and has been tasked with overseeing postwar Gaza.
Following the meeting, Israel announced yesterday that it would soon reopen the sole crossing for pedestrians between Gaza and Egypt, shut since the Iran campaign began. One of the sources says he believes the Israeli announcement was a direct result of the meeting between Hamas and the board.
Prior to the war in Iran, Trump’s plan for Gaza was his flagship initiative for the Middle East.
The sources say the Hamas representatives warned the board that the terror group could back away from its 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 the limited flow of goods and aid but kept shut the sole crossing for pedestrians into Egypt, at Rafah. Yesterday it announced it would reopen the crossing later this week following a “security assessment.”
Reuters has previously reported that talks on the disarmament of Hamas – meant to be a focus of the next phase of Trump’s plan – have been on hold since the start of the Iran war.
One of the sources says Trump’s board was represented at the talks with Hamas by Aryeh Lightstone, an American aide to Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. The other two sources say meetings that included Lightstone were on the agenda although they are unable to confirm whether Lightstone had attended yet.
Further meetings are expected this week. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly.
A US official says Lightstone had attended Gaza-related meetings in Cairo in the past several days, without confirming whether he met with the Hamas delegation. US negotiators are continuing to meet with regional partners to fulfil Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, the US official adds.
Israel’s government does not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether its decision to reopen the Rafah crossing was a result of the Cairo meeting. Hamas declines to comment.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.