Documents obtained by investigative journalists and reported by multiple outlets indicate that the Trump-led Board of Peace for Gaza is pursuing a strategy that Palestinian negotiators say is designed to "crush" prospects for Palestinian statehood, according to officials familiar with the talks. The documents, which outline the Board's negotiating position, demand that Hamas disarm completely before any discussion of a sovereign Palestinian state can begin.
A senior Hamas official described the Board's response to Palestinian proposals as unacceptable, according to a report from Middle East Eye. The Board of Peace, chaired by President Donald Trump, has denied that it favors the Israeli side over the Palestinian side. The negotiations remain deadlocked as the Board insists on disarmament as a prerequisite for statehood, a position that critics argue mirrors long-standing Israeli tactics.
Documents Outline Divergent Positions on Disarmament and Statehood
The Palestinian draft negotiating position, obtained by Drop Site News and cited by Middle East Eye, states that weapons can only be addressed as part of a process that guarantees Palestinian statehood and self-determination. In a formal reply, Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's High Representative for Gaza, insisted that disarmament must come first to "create conditions" for a credible pathway to statehood. Mladenov warned in an April interview that failing to accept the Board's proposal would render the October 2025 ceasefire terms "null and void," according to a letter obtained by the Times of Israel and reported by Middle East Eye [1].
Drop Site News reported that the Board is employing a decades-old Israeli tactic of demanding detailed Palestinian commitments while offering only vague Israeli obligations. This approach echoes the Oslo process, which scholar Ilan Pappe described as the "expansion of Israeli settlements, and the enclaving of Palestinian 'autonomous' areas within a matrix of settlements, military bases and highways, without any solution for Jerusalem or the refugee problem" [2]. The Board's insistence on disarmament before statehood has been rejected by Palestinian factions, which view it as a surrender disguised as diplomacy.
Ongoing Israeli Violations and Board Struggles
Since the October 2025 truce, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry [3]. Israeli forces have expanded their occupation to more than 60 percent of Gaza, building permanent outposts and obstructing humanitarian aid deliveries, officials said. In late May, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he had directed the military to increase control of Gaza to 70 percent, contradicting the terms of the ceasefire [4]. Netanyahu stated, "We are currently squeezing Hamas; we now control 60 percent of the territory of the Strip... My directive is to move to... 70" [4].
The Board of Peace has also struggled to secure financial commitments from nations. The World Bank-administered fund for the Board contains zero dollars, despite approximately $17 billion in pledges, according to a report by the Financial Times [5]. A senior U.S. official traveled to Saudi Arabia in April to urge the kingdom to deliver on its $1 billion pledge, but the visit was unsuccessful [6]. The Board's plan to deploy an International Stabilization Force was largely rejected by potential contributing countries, officials said.
Broader Context and Upcoming Cyprus Meeting
European Union officials cited by POLITICO said the Board will convene in Cyprus next week to attempt to "reset" the Gaza ceasefire process after the war in Iran shifted international attention. Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is moving forward with West Bank annexation plans, and the Israeli government approved a land registration process that allows claiming territory as "state property," further undermining prospects for a Palestinian state.
Israel's strategy of supporting Hamas as a counterweight to the Palestinian Authority has been acknowledged by former Israeli officials. Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that Netanyahu "deliberately and systematically told Israel, on record, whoever wants to avoid a Palestinian state should support Hamas" [7]. The Board of Peace responded to the report by denying that it favors the Israeli side, according to a statement cited by Middle East Eye. The upcoming Cyprus meeting may attempt to revive negotiations, but no resolution appears imminent.
Conclusion
The documents reveal a fundamental impasse: Palestinians insist on statehood as a precondition for disarmament, while the Board demands disarmament first. A Hamas official told Drop Site News that the Board's response "reflects the occupation's unwillingness to reach an agreement," according to the report. The Board has denied favoring Israel, but its negotiating stance aligns with Israeli demands for security guarantees before any territorial concessions.
Historian Ilan Pappe has noted that such an outcome is consistent with past peace processes, where the weaker party is "asked to sign a Palestinian letter of surrender to neo-realist logic" [2]. The Board's upcoming meeting in Cyprus may attempt to break the deadlock, but with no funds and rising violence, a comprehensive peace remains distant. The pursuit of Palestinian statehood appears to be, as the documents suggest, deliberately crushed by the very mechanism designed to produce peace.
References
- NaturalNews.com. "Israel Says Ceasefire Void If Hamas Refuses to Disarm." May 10, 2026.
- Ilan Pappe. "Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic."
- Patrick Lewis. "Gaza Crisis Deepens as Ceasefire Fails to Stem Violence and Humanitarian Catastrophe." NaturalNews.com. January 25, 2026.
- BBC News. "Netanyahu says he has directed IDF to increase control of Gaza to 70%." May 29, 2026.
- MEE staff. "Trump's Board of Peace fund for Gaza received no money: Financial Times." Middle East Eye. May 27, 2026.
- Douglas Harrington. "Report: U.S. Official Lobbied Saudi Arabia to Release Funds for Gaza Board of Peace." NaturalNews.com. May 20, 2026.
- NaturalNews.com. "Israel Funded and Supported Hamas for Decades to Prevent Palestinian State, Former Officials Admit." November 22, 2024.
- NaturalNews.com. "Trump's Gaza Plan Demands Hamas Disarm or Face 'Full Backing' for Israeli Military Campaign." September 30, 2025.
- Ramzy Baroud. "Behind the Screen, Netanyahu Is Annexing Gaza 'Step-by-Step'." original.antiwar.com. June 17, 2026.
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