Efforts to advance President Donald Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war have stalled after the United States and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran last week, triggering a broader regional conflict and halting negotiations, sources familiar with the talks said.
The pause threatens to stall implementation of Trump's flagship Middle East peace initiative, which he has cast as a major foreign policy objective. It comes less than a month after he secured billions of dollars in pledges for Gaza from Gulf Arab states - countries that are now facing Iranian attacks as the conflict widens.
Trump's Gaza plan has hinged in part on whether Hamas would lay down its arms in exchange for amnesty, a step intended to pave the way for reconstruction and further Israeli military withdrawals. White House mediators have been backchanneling between Israel and Hamas on the disarmament question.
Negotiations on this and other issues were paused when the Iran war began on Feb. 28, the three sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive talks. A pause in disarmament talks has not been previously reported.
A White House official denied there had been any pause in the talks, saying: "Discussions on disarmament are ongoing and positive. All of the mediators agree that this is a critical step to enable rebuilding for the people of Gaza."
