Exclusive: Trump’s Gaza plan on hold as Iran war pauses disarmament talks, sources say

2026-03-09 - 15:44

JERUSALEM/CAIRO: Talks to advance President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war have been on hold since last week ​when the U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East war, three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said. The pause threatens to stall implementation of ‌Trump’s flagship Middle East peace initiative, which he has cast as a major foreign policy objective. It comes less than a month after he secured billions of dollars in pledges for Gaza from Gulf Arab states – countries that are now facing Iranian attacks as the conflict widens. Trump’s Gaza plan has hinged in part on whether Hamas militants would lay down their arms in exchange for amnesty, a step intended to pave the way for reconstruction and further Israeli military withdrawals. White ​House mediators have been backchanneling between Israel and Hamas on the disarmament question. Negotiations on this and other issues were paused when the Iran war began on February 28, the three ​sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks. The pause in disarmament talks has not been previously reported. Zaha Hassan, of the Washington-based Carnegie ⁠Endowment for International Peace, said countries including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar which pledged funds for Trump’s Board of Peace mission may be questioning if this is “really money well spent now that ​they are dodging rocket fire.” HAMAS CONFIRMS PAUSE TO TALKS ON TRUMP PLAN One of the sources, who has direct knowledge of work by Trump’s Board of Peace mission, described the pause as a brief, minor delay ​caused by flight disruptions preventing mediators and representatives from travelling around the region. Talks have frequently been held in Cairo. Over the longer term, the Board of Peace believes the war could accelerate a resolution of the disarmament issue by removing Iranian influence, which has long supported Hamas financially, the source said. Another source — a Palestinian official close to the mediation effort — said Hamas had been expected to hold talks with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators on the day the war ​erupted, but the meeting was scrapped and no new date has been set. A Trump administration official said the “situation in the region has impacted some travel but discussions and progress continue. The Administration and Board of Peace continue to work hard to bring ‌stability and prosperity ⁠for Gaza.” Israel’s military has eased off strikes in Gaza since the start of the war but, citing Hamas threats, has not ceased attacks, as Israeli jets 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 on Iran is over, (Israel) will come back at 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. Hamas, for its part, has continued to reassert its grip in areas under its control in Gaza since the ​war began. Sources close to the group say ​Hamas fighters in recent days ambushed several Israeli-backed ⁠militia members in Gaza’s north and south, killing at least two people.