Hamas Holds Consultations in Cairo to Revive Gaza Agreement
With Israel preoccupied with the war on Iran, Hamas has kicked off consultations in Cairo to overcome obstacles in implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
The second phase was supposed to start in mid-January, but has since stalled for various reasons, including the war on Iran.
Experts told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas officials are seeking new ways forward that would set the agreement on the right path, put a stop to Israeli violations and reach solutions to daily crises caused by the Israeli siege on the enclave.
Hamas officials held a series of meetings with Egyptian intelligence members and United Nations envoy Nikolay Mladenov that tackled political and field developments in Gaza, reported Egyptian and Qatari media. Egypt and Qatar have played the role of mediator in reached the ceasefire.
Two sources close to Hamas told Asharq Al-Awsat that the movement’s delegation was led by Nizar Awadallah and includes leading Hamas member Ghazi Hamad.
They discussed the Israeli violations, efforts to merge Hamas members with the police, operating the Rafah border crossing and the Gaza committee that is supposed to take over control of the enclave from Hamas.
The sources revealed that Hamas’ disarmament was on the table, but discussions over it will be resumed once Palestinian police and international stabilization forces are deployed in Gaza.
A member of the committee told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that it did not meet with the Hamas delegation, declining to name the reason.
‘Board of Peace’
Three sourced told Reuters on Monday that 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 United States and Israel began bombing Iran.
The weekend meeting is the first publicly reported since the start of the Iran war between the movement and the board, a new international body personally headed by Trump, which has been tasked with overseeing post-war Gaza.
Following the meeting, Israel announced on Sunday that it would soon reopen the sole crossing for pedestrians between Gaza and Egypt, shut since the Iran bombing campaign began. One of the sources said he believed 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 said the Hamas representatives warned the board that the movement 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 on Gaza's southern edge. On Sunday 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.
Further meetings expected this week
One of the sources said 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 said meetings that included Lightstone were on the agenda although they were unable to confirm whether Lightstone had attended yet.
Further meetings were expected this week. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
A US official said that Lightstone had attended Gaza-related meetings in Cairo in the past several days, without confirming whether he met with the Hamas delegation. US negotiators were continuing to meet with regional partners to fulfil Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza, the US official added.
Israel's government did 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 declined to comment.
Continued Israeli strikes on Gaza
Trump's plan for Gaza began with an October ceasefire that left Israel controlling more than half the enclave's territory, with nearly all its more than 2 million people crammed into a narrow strip of land under Hamas control.
The initiative had appeared to gain momentum in the month leading up to the war with Iran, including new pledges for reconstruction and the reopening of Rafah.
Israel's military has continued to strike Gaza during the broader regional war, including attacks on Sunday that killed 12 people, including nine police officers. The military has cited threats or fire by Hamas for its attacks.
A Palestinian official with knowledge of the Cairo talks said that Hamas believed Israel was exploiting the war on Iran to slip away from its obligations under Trump's plan. Israel rejects this.
Trump's Gaza plan has hinged in part on whether Hamas fighters would lay down their arms in exchange for amnesty, a step intended to pave the way for reconstruction and further Israeli military withdrawals.
None of the sources said whether disarmament would be discussed in Cairo talks this week.
