The US presidents plan for postwar Gaza faces pressure amid the Iran war and continued Israeli strikes on the Palestinian enclave

Hamas has held its first talks with the newly established USled Board of Peace, as the postwar Gaza reconstruction plan comes under strain from the Iran war and continued Israeli strikes on the enclave, Reuters has reported.

The Board of Peace - an international body formally established in midJanuary as part of US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace roadmap - includes business figures and officials from multiple countries. Critics have questioned its mandate and the absence of Palestinian political representation. The board's activities have largely been put on hold in recent weeks, as Muslim member states voiced anger over the USIsraeli bombardment of Iran and debated whether to remain involved.

According to Reuters, citing its sources on Monday, the meeting took place late last week at an undisclosed location in the region and focused on salvaging elements of Trump's initiative, including a longterm ceasefire and a reconstruction program overseen by the board. The talks were described as preliminary, with no concrete breakthrough announced.

Hamas officials reportedly used the encounter to demand the reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt, which Israel shut following its airstrikes on Iran. The militant group reportedly warned that if Rafah remains closed and humanitarian access is not restored, it could walk away from the ceasefire agreements.

Despite the formal truce that ended Israel's twoyear war in Gaza last October, the IDF has continued to carry out strikes. At least 12 people, including children, were reportedly killed in attacks on Sunday, adding to a post-ceasefire death toll of more than 600. The overall figures exceed 72,000, according to the enclave's health officials.

The Gaza war erupted after Hamasled militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded with a massive air and ground campaign and a blockade that severely restricted food, fuel and medical supplies, prompting accusations of genocide.

At its inaugural meeting last month, the board pledged more than $7 billion for rebuilding Gaza and promised to deploy thousands of personnel to international stabilization and police forces in the territory. While over two dozen countries have formally joined, major Western powers have mostly declined full membership. Russia has not formally joined but said it hadreceivedan invitation and was studying the proposal.

(RT.com)