Hamas, Trump Envoys Discuss Gaza Ceasefire
Trump's envoys met Hamas in Cairo to discuss the Gaza ceasefire, leading to Israel's decision to reopen a key border crossing.
Lauren Collins ·
Hamas, Trump Envoys Discuss Gaza Ceasefire Envoys from U.S. President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace" met with Hamas representatives in Cairo, Egypt, over the weekend of March 15-16, 2026, to address the Gaza ceasefire.
This meeting, the first publicly reported since the start of the Iran war, aimed to safeguard the ceasefire, which has been under strain following U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran.
The discussions led to Israel's announcement on Sunday that it would reopen the sole pedestrian crossing between Gaza and Egypt later this week.
During the meeting, Hamas representatives reportedly warned the Board of Peace that the militant group might withdraw from its ceasefire commitments if Israel maintained new restrictions on Gaza. These restrictions, including the closure of Gaza's borders, were imposed by Israel after the Iran war commenced on February 28, citing security concerns. While Israel later resumed limited goods and aid flow, the Rafah pedestrian crossing remained closed until the recent announcement.
The Board of Peace, an international body led by Trump, is tasked with overseeing post-war Gaza. Aryeh Lightstone, an American aide to Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, represented the Board at the talks. Further meetings are anticipated this week. The broader context of Trump's Gaza plan, which previously focused on Hamas disarmament and reconstruction, has seen these aspects put on hold since the escalation of the Iran conflict.