The US president’s plan for Gaza after the war is under pressure during the Iran war and continued Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territory.
Hamas has held its first talks with the Peace Council recently established by the United States, as the plan to rebuild Gaza after the war faces problems due to the war with Iran and continued Israeli attacks on the area, Reuters has reported.
The Peace Council – an international body formally established in mid-January as part of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan – includes business leaders and officials from many countries. Critics have questioned his authority and the lack of Palestinian political representation. The body’s activities have largely been suspended in recent weeks, with Muslim member states expressing anger over US attacks on Israel and Iran and debating whether to remain involved.
According to Reuters, citing its sources on Monday, the meeting was held late last week in an undisclosed location in the region and focused on the saving elements of the Trump plan, including a long-term ceasefire and a reconstruction plan managed by the board. The talks were described as preliminary, with no concrete breakthroughs announced.
Hamas officials have reportedly used the meeting to demand the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt, which Israel closed following its airstrikes against Iran. The militant group reportedly warned that if Rafah remains closed and humanitarian access is not restored, it may withdraw from the ceasefire agreement.
Despite the official truce that ended Israel’s two-year war in Gaza last October, the IDF has continued to strike. At least 12 people, including children, were reported killed in the attacks on Sunday, raising the death toll after the ceasefire to more than 600. The total number exceeds 72,000, according to enclave health officials.
The Gaza war erupted after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded with a massive air and ground campaign and blockades that severely restricted food, fuel and medical supplies, prompting accusations of genocide.
At its first meeting last month, the board pledged more than $7 billion for the reconstruction of Gaza and pledged to deploy thousands of international peacekeeping and police forces to the area. While more than two dozen countries have officially joined, major Western powers have rejected full membership. Russia has not officially joined but said it has has been received invitation and was reading the proposal.
