Envoys from a U.S.-led body known as the "Board of Peace" held discussions with Hamas representatives in Cairo over the weekend in an effort to preserve a fragile Gaza ceasefire, three sources said. The meeting is the first publicly reported engagement between the Palestinian militant group and the Trump-headed board since the wider war with Iran began, and it took place as the conflict has put significant strain on the arrangements that underpin the ceasefire.
Following the Cairo talks, Israel said it would soon reopen the Rafah pedestrian crossing on Gaza's southern border with Egypt - the sole crossing for pedestrians which had been closed after the Iran war started. One source directly linked the reopening announcement to the meeting in Cairo, saying they believed the Israeli decision was a direct result of the discussions between Hamas and the board.
According to the sources, Hamas warned the board that it could withdraw from earlier commitments under the Gaza ceasefire if Israel continued to enforce new restrictions imposed during the Iran conflict. Israel had closed Gaza's borders after the war began on February 28, citing that crossings could not be operated safely. It later permitted a limited flow of goods and aid but kept the Rafah pedestrian crossing closed until the recent announcement that it would be reopened later this week, subject to a security assessment.
The talks in Cairo occurred against a backdrop in which planned negotiations on Hamas disarmament - intended to be part of the next phase of the U.S. plan for Gaza - have been suspended since the start of the Iran conflict. Sources said the board's delegation to the Cairo meeting included Aryeh Lightstone, an American aide to the special envoy Steve Witkoff, though accounts differed on whether Lightstone attended this exact meeting. Two sources said meetings including Lightstone were on the agenda, while one source said he was present. A U.S. official confirmed Lightstone had participated in Gaza-related meetings in Cairo in recent days but did not confirm whether he had met the Hamas delegation.
Further meetings were expected to take place this week, the sources said. All three spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. A U.S. official also said that U.S. negotiators were continuing meetings with regional partners to pursue elements of a 20-point plan for Gaza.
Officials and parties involved offered limited public comment. Israel's government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether the reopening of the Rafah crossing was a direct outcome of the Cairo meetings. Hamas declined to comment, and a U.S. official declined to confirm whether Lightstone had met the Hamas delegation.
Operational and humanitarian pressures on Gaza have continued during the broader regional conflict. Israel's military has carried out strikes in Gaza during the Iran war, including attacks on Sunday that the military said were in response to threats or fire by Hamas and that killed 12 people, including nine police officers. A Palestinian official who had knowledge of the Cairo talks said Hamas believed Israel was using the Iran war as a pretext to step back from obligations under the U.S. plan; Israel rejects that allegation.
The U.S.-led plan for Gaza, which began with an October ceasefire, left Israel in control of more than half the enclave's territory while leaving nearly all of Gaza's more than 2 million residents concentrated in a narrow strip under Hamas political control. Prior to the regional escalation, the initiative had been gathering momentum, with new pledges for reconstruction and the planned reopening of the Rafah crossing cited as signs of progress. Those elements now face fresh uncertainty as the regional conflict complicates security conditions and diplomatic momentum.
Central elements of the plan hinge on whether Hamas militants would disarm in exchange for amnesty, a step designed to allow reconstruction efforts and further Israeli military withdrawals. Sources said talks on disarmament have been on hold since the beginning of the Iran conflict, and none of the sources confirmed whether disarmament would be part of the Cairo meetings scheduled for this week.
As diplomatic efforts proceed, the immediate operational picture on Gaza's borders and the flow of aid and civilian movement remain contingent on security assessments and further discussions among the parties involved. The weekend Cairo talks signal renewed engagement between the U.S.-led board and Hamas at a moment when the wider regional conflict has introduced new constraints on both movement and the diplomatic timeline for Gaza's next phases.