With Gaza peace plan stuck due to Hamas' insistence on keeping weapons, US reaches out to PA

With the ceasefire initiative in the Gaza Strip stalled over Hamas' refusal to commit to disarmament, the United States is seeking closer ties with the Palestinian Authority (PA) to help raise funds for the Board of Peace and prepare the PA for eventual governance of the enclave, according to the Times of Israel (TOI).

Citing three government officials, TOI reported that the United States is seeking to transfer billions of dollars in PA tax revenues collected by Israel but currently withheld from the PA to the underfunded Board of Peace (BoP) and its National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) to advance the Gaza Peace Plan.

The American initiative has been stalled for months amid Hamas’ refusal to commit to all aspects of the plan.

Earlier this week, TOI cited a source familiar with the talks as saying that, despite agreement on most points, Hamas’ latest response amounted to a rejection of the proposal, and that the U.S. would instead seek to advance the plan by other means.

“Hamas is still trying to avoid the core requirement, which is clear disarmament,” the source noted. Under the 20-point peace plan formally approved by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, “Hamas has to lay down its weapons.”

“If they are trying to condition this on Israeli withdrawal first, keep weapons under their influence, or change the sequencing, then it does not meet the standard.”

“The Board of Peace is not waiting around for Hamas. It is continuing to advance the plan, including governance, stabilization, and reconstruction in areas that can be secured free of Hamas control,” the source added.

The IDF says it struck and killed two Hamas operatives who posed a threat to troops in the Gaza Strip earlier today.

A strike in central Gaza killed Saleh Khalifa, a cell commander in Hamas's Nuseirat Battalion, and strike in the Strip's north killed Muhammad al-Habil, a cell… pic.twitter.com/2wywXsARdU

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) June 15, 2026

The Israeli military currently controls between 60% and 70% of the Gaza Strip. Last month, Hamas leaders decried Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order for the IDF to seize 70% of the Gaza Strip as a “dangerous escalation.”

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi urged the implementation of the Trump administration's Gaza peace plan in comments at the G7 summit in France on Tuesday, urging Israel to stop its plan to capture 70% of the enclave. “Only 30% of the Strip is effectively left for the Palestinian people,” he lamented.

The U.S. recently halted an Israeli plan to launch a fresh military operation in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s Channel 13 News reported on Tuesday, adding that a “creeping and silent” expansion of the Israeli-controlled areas has continued nevertheless.

Against this backdrop, it appears the U.S. is exploring alternatives to advance the GoP by increasing its engagement with the PA.

A Middle East intelligence official told TOI that the PA hopes to normalize its strained relations with Washington by establishing a memorandum of understanding based on the 20-point peace plan. The framework would focus on clauses outlining a path toward Palestinian self-determination, U.S.-led peace talks with Israel after the PA reforms and the advancement of Gaza’s redevelopment.

Once certain benchmarks are met, the U.S. could then remove sanctions and, the PA hopes, allow the reopening of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s diplomatic mission in Washington, according to a PA official.

In return, a U.S. official said that Washington wants to see an end to efforts to pursue Israel through international legal forums, while the PA, in exchange, requested that the MOU include language requiring an Israeli commitment to halt settlement expansion and settler violence.

When asked for a comment on reporting regarding U.S. outreach to the PA, a State Department spokesperson told TOI, “PA reform is a critical prerequisite to assuaging Israeli security concerns.”

“The president’s 20-Point Plan and UN Security Council Resolution 2803 make clear: the PA must verifiably complete comprehensive reforms, including ending all payments to terrorists and their families,” the spokesperson added. “The PA’s prospects of having more financial stability must begin with verifiably completing its long-promised reforms.”