Cairo is seeing renewed diplomatic momentum on Gaza, with mediators working to narrow gaps between Hamas and Israel, alongside the United States and Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza at the Board of Peace.
A meeting in Cairo on Tuesday brought together Hamas chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya and US diplomat Aryeh Lightstone, now a senior adviser to the Board of Peace.
A Hamas source said the meeting was not pre-arranged. It was meant to include only al-Hayya and Mladenov before Lightstone joined unexpectedly, along with US General Jasper Jeffers, who left shortly after. Egyptian mediators pushed for the talks.
The meeting was the first between Hamas and a US official since the Gaza ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.
Negotiations remain stalled. Hamas and other factions insist Israel must first meet its first-phase commitments, especially humanitarian measures and aid entry, before any further steps. Israel and the United States are pressing for an immediate shift to phase two, centered on disarmament.
Sources said mediators are trying to break the deadlock with a parallel approach, completing the remaining first-phase steps while opening talks on the second, with implementation tied to Israel’s full compliance. One source said proposals call for gradual, conditional progress on disarmament.
Tense exchanges
Four Hamas sources and one from another Palestinian faction said the meeting was tense at times.
A senior Hamas source said the US official used strong language, accusing Hamas of delaying disarmament and demanding a full handover of weapons within 24 hours.
The source said al-Hayya praised US President Donald Trump's efforts to halt the war but did not respond directly. Some Hamas delegates left Cairo for consultations, while al-Hayya stayed at Egypt’s request to review a revised mediation proposal.
Sources said both Mladenov and the US side sought a fully signed commitment from Hamas and Gaza factions to disarm under a Board of Peace plan, before completing the humanitarian phase, and without clear timelines or guarantees for Israel.
Hamas conditions
Hamas and allied factions outlined five key demands.
They called for full implementation of phase one as a test of Israel’s intent. They also demanded that Gaza’s administrative committee be allowed to operate and meet urgent civilian needs.
They urged the dismantling of armed groups set up by Israel. They also called for the deployment of international forces east of the “yellow line” to replace Israeli troops, with a timetable for withdrawal to Gaza’s eastern border.
They further demanded the launch of a comprehensive political process on the Palestinian issue.
A Hamas official said the 90-minute meeting was generally positive but failed to bridge gaps. He cited periods of tension and what he described as implicit threats from Lightstone and Mladenov of a return to war if factions refused to fully disarm.
He said the two officials conveyed what they described as Israeli approval to meet first-phase commitments, including curbing violations and expanding aid, but only if disarmament came first, a condition al-Hayya rejected.
No breakthrough
Sources said talks are at a standstill, with no clear progress, as Israel ties first-phase implementation to disarmament.
Three Hamas sources abroad, including one in Cairo, said the delegation remains firm, and Israel must fully implement phase one before any move to phase two.
They said Mladenov recently returned from Israel with assurances that it would improve humanitarian conditions and honor phase one if Hamas agreed to disarm. One source said the approach seeks to sidestep Israel’s obligations.
The sources pointed to unfulfilled promises to restore crossings to pre-war levels after the Iran war, which began in late February. Aid deliveries fluctuated this week.
About 323 trucks entered on Monday, falling to around 280 the next day and dropping further on Wednesday, despite mediator assurances that crossings would improve to about 600 trucks daily, as outlined in the ceasefire.
One source said Israel, the United States, and the Board of Peace, represented by Mladenov, are trying to link disarmament only to aid entry, without commitments on reconstruction or other obligations.
