Jerusalem, Palestine – Informed sources revealed that talks aimed at implementing US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip have been temporarily suspended since last week. This coincided with the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other.
Disarmament negotiations halted
According to Reuters, three sources reported that negotiations regarding the disarmament of Hamas, a key component of the plan, stalled on the day the war began, February 28.
The plan aims to persuade Hamas fighters to surrender their weapons in exchange for amnesty. It also seeks to pave the way for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the expansion of the Israeli military withdrawal.
US denies suspending talks
In contrast, a White House official denied that talks had stalled, asserting that discussions on disarmament were ongoing and progressing positively.
He added that international mediators agreed this step was essential to enabling reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip and achieving long-term stability.
The regional war is impacting diplomatic efforts.
A source familiar with the mediation efforts indicated that the regional war disrupted some meetings due to flight disruptions and the difficulty of mediators traveling between the relevant capitals. Meanwhile, Cairo was hosting frequent rounds of talks.
A Hamas official confirmed that the talks regarding the plan were currently frozen, without disclosing further details, while the Israeli government did not immediately comment.
Continued tension in Gaza
Despite a decrease in the frequency of Israeli strikes since the outbreak of the regional war, military operations in the Gaza Strip have not ceased. Medical sources in the Strip reported that at least 16 Palestinians have been killed since late February.
Meanwhile, sources close to Hamas reported that the movement’s fighters carried out ambushes targeting Israeli-backed armed groups in the northern and southern parts of the Strip in recent days.
Concerns about the impact of the war on the plan
Diplomats believe that a war with Iran could temporarily divert US attention from the Palestinian issue, as the US administration focuses on military developments in the region.
However, diplomatic sources confirmed that contacts between the parties involved at the working level are ongoing, with the hope of resuming progress on the plan once the regional conflict subsides.
