Senior Hamas officials said no progress was made in talks with Israel on implementing the second phase of a Gaza cease-fire after meetings in Cairo with mediators including Egyptian officials and envoys linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative. The talks were described as deadlocked, with the Board of Peace demanding that Hamas cease its military activities as part of the negotiations.
Who Sets the Terms
The latest round of diplomacy again showed who gets to define the rules and who is expected to absorb them. In Cairo, senior Hamas officials said the talks with Israel on the second phase of the Gaza cease-fire made no progress. The meetings included Egyptian officials and envoys linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's initiative, but the result was still deadlock. The main sticking point was the Board of Peace's demand that Hamas stop its military activities as part of the negotiations.
That demand sits at the center of the process: armed power at the top of the table, disarmament demanded from one side, and ordinary people in Gaza left to live with the consequences while the machinery of diplomacy grinds on.
Brussels Talks, Same Old Hierarchies
In Brussels, more than 60 nations sent representatives to talks with Palestinian representatives on stability, security and long-term peace in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mustafa participated in the Brussels conference. The European Union has largely been on the sidelines in the Middle East despite being the biggest provider of aid to the Palestinians and backing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A majority of EU member countries now recognize an independent Palestinian state after many expressed outrage over Israeli actions in Gaza. The 27-nation bloc is also Israel’s top trading partner and a major buyer of Israeli weapons. The EU had no role in negotiating the October ceasefire in Gaza that took effect after two years of war.
The setup is familiar: institutions with money, trade leverage and diplomatic language gather to discuss “stability,” while the people living under bombardment, blockade and military rule remain the ones paying the bill.
What People Under Occupation Face
In the West Bank, Palestinians say Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to tighten its grip over the territory, as settler attacks surge and the military imposes additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said ahead of Monday’s meeting that ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and continued devastation in Gaza had dimmed the prospect for a two-state solution.
He said, “The two-state solution is being made more difficult by the day,” and added, “But Belgium and many European and Arab partners continue to believe that this remains the only realistic path to a lasting peace, for Israelis, for Palestinians and for the stability of the entire region.”
The language of “security” keeps expanding while movement gets restricted and attacks continue. The people at the bottom are told this is the price of order.
The EU’s Levers and Its Limits
European moves to condemn or sanction some Israeli actions frequently had been vetoed by Hungary’s Victor Orban. Hungary’s next leader, Péter Magyar, has said he would seek “pragmatic relations” with Israel but also rejoin the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over Gaza. Orban defied that warrant while hosting Netanyahu in 2025, then started the process of Hungary leaving the world’s only court for war crimes and genocide. Magyar also said he might not continue Orbán’s policy of vetoing actions on Israel.
After the Brussels meeting, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that without Orbán’s veto action could be coming soon, such as imposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers. She said, “We have 27 countries and 26 countries want to put violent settlers sanctions in place,” and added, “The one who doesn’t want the sanctions on violent settlers has gotten their upper hand. Now, this country had elections, and we’ll have a new government.”
The Spanish prime minister wants the EU to suspend its long-standing Association Agreement with Israel and has said Spain will make a formal proposal at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Tuesday. However, a suspension seems unlikely because countries such as Austria and Germany tend to back Israel. The agreement in force since 2000 sets out the legal and institutional framework within which the bloc and Israel conduct trade and cooperation. The EU has found indications Israel had violated that agreement in its military campaign in Gaza.
Other action, such as targeted sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank, could be approved if a qualified majority of 15 of the 27 nations representing at least 65% of the EU’s population agree.
One Government, One Law, One Goal
Mohamed Mustafa said Gaza requires “one state, one government, one law and one goal.” He said, “Our common objective of achieving one security structure under the legitimate authority should guide the effective coordination between the International Stabilization Force, the Palestinian Authority, security institutions and other international actors. Security must not be fragmented.” He also called for “the gradual and responsible collection of arms from all armed groups and also the full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.”
The disarmament of Hamas is a major challenge in next steps for the ceasefire in Gaza. During the Brussels meeting, Mustafa said he had met for the first time Nikolay Mladenov in the Bulgarian diplomat’s role as the Trump-appointed director of Board of Peace. He said he pressed Mladenov on ongoing Israeli military action in Gaza, increasing humanitarian assistance and security in the coastal enclave. Mustafa said, “We see eye to eye on many things, and I think that we will be meeting again in the near future.”