Trump's Gaza Disarmament Talks Paused Amid Iran War

Negotiations on ending the Gaza war have been put on hold since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East conflict.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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Three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said that talks to advance President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war have been on hold since last week when the U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East war. The pause threatens to stall implementation of Trump's flagship Middle East peace initiative, which he had cast as a major foreign policy objective.

Why it matters

Trump's Gaza plan has hinged in part on whether Hamas terrorists would lay down their arms in exchange for amnesty, a step intended to pave the way for reconstruction and further Israeli military withdrawals. The pause in disarmament talks raises concerns that the war with Iran could undermine the progress made on the Gaza initiative.

The details

Negotiations on the Gaza disarmament issue and other related topics were paused when the Iran war began on Feb. 28, according to the three sources. A Palestinian official close to the mediation effort said Hamas had been expected to hold talks with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators on the day the war erupted, but the meeting was scrapped and no new date has been set. Hamas has continued to reassert its grip in areas under its control in Gaza since the war began.

  • The talks were paused on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East war.
  • Hamas had been expected to hold talks with mediators on the day the war erupted, but the meeting was scrapped.

The players

Donald Trump

The President of the United States who has cast his Gaza plan as a major foreign policy objective.

Hamas

The Palestinian terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip and has been expected to participate in disarmament talks as part of Trump's Gaza plan.

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What they’re saying

“The moment the war on Iran is over, [Israel] will come back at us with the same frequency, with the same violence.”

— Talal Hamouda, Gaza resident (Newsmax)

“Without it, the divergent aims of the two warring parties could easily lead to very different outcomes and potentially to a resumption of fighting.”

— Natan Sachs, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute (Newsmax)

What’s next

Once the war with Iran is over, the Trump administration is expected to try to resume the disarmament talks with Hamas in order to keep his Gaza plan on track.

The takeaway

The outbreak of the Iran war has disrupted the momentum behind Trump's efforts to broker a peace deal in Gaza, raising concerns that the conflict could undermine the progress made on this key foreign policy initiative.