The United States and Hamas held their first direct negotiations on Tuesday night in Cairo since the October 2025 ceasefire, as part of a high-stakes effort to salvage a fragile, US-brokered peace agreement.
A delegation led by senior U.S. advisor Aryeh Lightstone met with Hamas’s chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya. They were joined by Nickolay Mladenov, the High Representative for Gaza from the Board of Peace—an international body established by the Trump administration to oversee postwar management of the Strip.
The talks focused on transitioning to the “second phase” of the peace plan, which involves the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of an international security mission. However, progress has been halted by a fundamental disagreement over timing and security.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly signaled that Israel will only fulfill its phase-one requirements, such as a total halt to strikes and the full withdrawal from populated areas, if Hamas commits to total disarmament.
Khalil al-Hayya argued that the proposal is “unbalanced,” claiming it marginalizes humanitarian and political rights in favor of Israeli security. Hamas refuses to disarm before Israel implements its initial commitments, including an end to ongoing airstrikes.
Furthermore, Hamas sources allege that Mladenov has pressured the group, warning that a refusal to accept the current disarmament paper could result in a return to full-scale war.
While the truce established in October 2025 ended the most intense two-year period of conflict, it has been widely criticized by humanitarian organizations as a ceasefire “in name only.” Since the truce took effect six months ago, at least 765 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
International agencies like MSF report that living conditions in Gaza remain dire, with overcrowding and lack of aid fueling outbreaks of disease. The talks are further complicated by the history of the negotiators; Khalil al-Hayya survived an Israeli assassination attempt in Doha as recently as last September.
These negotiations are unfolding against the backdrop of the broader 2026 Iran War. As shipping remains choked in the Strait of Hormuz and regional tensions escalate, the U.S. is under intense pressure to stabilize the Gaza front to prevent a total regional collapse.
The Board of Peace has reportedly given Hamas until the end of this week to accept the disarmament proposal, though mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey remain skeptical that a “yes” will be reached without significant amendments.
