US and Israel Launch Joint Attack on Iran, Suspend President Donald Trump's Gaza Peace Talks

Multiple news sources reported that talks to advance President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative were halted after a joint US–Israel attack on Iran ignited a broader Middle East war beginning Feb. 28, with three anonymous sources saying negotiations were on hold and other outlets describing the pause as an interruption to the plan’s implementation.

“Reuters quoted three sources — described as "familiar" — saying that talks aimed at moving forward with President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip have been suspended since last week after the United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, which led to a wider war in the Middle East”

Al-Jazeera Net

South China Morning Post reported that “Talks to advance US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Gaza war have been on hold since last week when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran, sparking a broader Middle East war, three sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations said.”

Al-Jazeera Net

Devdiscourse similarly wrote that “Negotiations aimed at advancing President Donald Trump's Middle East peace initiative have been paused following a joint U.S.-Israel military operation against Iran, igniting a wider regional conflict.”

Ynetnews also noted that “Negotiations on that and other matters were paused when the Iran war began on Feb. 28, the three sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.”

The pause poses a direct threat to implementing Trump’s Gaza plan, which hinges on persuading Hamas to disarm in exchange for amnesty and reconstruction, and which had been buoyed by recent Gulf pledges; several outlets warned the regional war could derail the initiative.

Samaa TV warned that “The halt in talks threatens to delay implementation of Trump’s key Middle East peace initiative, which he has presented as a major foreign policy priority.”

CBS News

The same outlet explained a core element: “A central element of Trump’s Gaza proposal involves persuading Hamas to disarm in exchange for amnesty. The step is intended to pave the way for reconstruction efforts and further withdrawals of Israeli forces.”

South China Morning Post and Devdiscourse both noted that the pause came after Trump “secured billions of dollars in pledges for Gaza from Gulf Arab states,” and that the widening Iran war risks undermining the diplomacy needed to keep the plan on track.

On the ground and diplomatically, Washington’s lead coordination apparatus scaled back activity and senior US attention shifted to the Iran war, even as working-level discussions continued.

“• Strikes target leadership: US President Donald Trump said Iran’s air force and navy had been “knocked out” and that strikes targeted Iranian leadership”

CNN

Al-Jazeera reported that “Most of the multinational coordination led by Washington on its Gaza policy was carried out from a U.S.-led military complex in southern Israel,” and that diplomats “said the momentum behind the plan appeared to stall as the war with Iran intensified.”

Ynetnews and Al-Jazeera both recorded that “The Israeli military has scaled back its strikes in Gaza since the war began but has not halted its operations, citing threats from Hamas.”

South China Morning Post noted diplomats saying senior US officials were largely focused on the conflict with Iran, “leaving Gaza with limited high-level attention.”

Reporting also highlighted immediate human cost and local dynamics: Gaza health officials put the death toll since Feb. 28 at a minimum of 16 Palestinians, while Ynet described continued militant consolidation and local violence that has killed at least two people in clashes with Israeli-backed militias.

Al-Jazeera wrote that “According to health officials in Gaza, at least 16 Palestinians in the Strip have been killed since February 28.”

samaa tv

Ynetnews reported that “Hamas has continued consolidating control in areas it holds in Gaza. Sources close to the group said Hamas terrorists recently ambushed members of Israeli-backed militias in northern and southern Gaza, killing at least two people.”

Local residents warned the breaks in regional fighting could precede renewed Israeli operations, with Ynet quoting Talal Hamouda saying he expects Israeli attacks to intensify once the Iran conflict subsides.

Finally, sources documented competing narratives about whether talks were truly frozen: mediators and diplomats said key meetings were canceled and operations at the coordination center were reduced to minimal levels, while the White House publicly denied any pause and insisted discussions were continuing.

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samaa tv

Ynet reported that a scheduled meeting between Hamas and Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators was canceled the day the Iran war erupted.

South China Morning Post

Al-Jazeera and Reuters-sourced diplomats told reporters that the Civil Military Coordination Center reduced operations, with Al-Jazeera relaying that diplomats “said the Civil Military Coordination Center scaled back to minimal operations when the war began.”

In contrast, South China Morning Post quoted a White House official 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.”

Devdiscourse likewise noted a White House spokesperson’s refutation of a pause.