Hamas Holds Secret Talks with Board of Peace, Discusses Strategic Steps
The Palestinian militant group Hamas has reportedly held talks with the Board of Peace (BoP), a United States-established body, amid the intensifying crisis. The meeting took place last week as post-war Gaza reconstruction plans have begun to falter due to escalating tensions with Iran and continuing Israeli military operations in the territory.
According to Reuters reporting citing informed sources, the meeting between Hamas and the Peace Council took place last weekend at an undisclosed location in the Middle East. The primary focus of discussions was to preserve key elements of Trump’s initiative, including a long-term ceasefire and a reconstruction programme to be directly overseen by the council.
Hamas reportedly used the opportunity to demand the reopening of the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border, which Israel closed following air strikes against Iran. The group issued a stern warning that if Rafah remains closed and humanitarian access is not restored, it would withdraw from the existing ceasefire agreement.
“If Rafah remains closed and humanitarian access is not restored, we may withdraw from the ceasefire agreement,” the report stated, quoting Hamas’s warning.
Although a formal ceasefire ended Israel’s two-year war in Gaza last October, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) continue to conduct deadly operations. At least twelve people, including children, were reported killed in Sunday’s strikes, bringing the death toll since the ceasefire to over 600 people.
According to health officials in the territory, the total death toll has now exceeded 72,000. The Gaza war erupted after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.
Israel responded with a large-scale aerial and ground campaign and a total blockade that severely restricted supplies of food, fuel, and medicine. This action has triggered accusations of genocide at the international level against the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Board of Peace is an international body formally established in mid-January as part of a Gaza peace roadmap initiated by US President Donald Trump. The body comprises business figures and officials from various countries, although many critics question its mandate and the absence of formal political representation from Palestine.
The council’s activities have largely stalled in recent weeks as Muslim-majority member states expressed anger over US-Israeli bombing of Iran. This has triggered heated internal debate among members about whether they will remain involved in the mission or withdraw entirely.
At its inaugural meeting last month, the BoP, championed by Donald Trump, pledged over US$7 billion to rebuild Gaza, in addition to promising to deploy thousands of personnel to international stabilisation and police forces in the territory.
So far, more than two dozen countries have formally joined the council, though major Western nations have largely rejected full membership. Russia has not formally joined but has stated it received an invitation and is carefully studying the proposal.