Envoys representing U.S. President Donald J. Trump and his so-called “Board of Peace” recently held talks with Hamas officials in Cairo, aiming to preserve the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, according to reports published on March 16. The meeting marks the first publicly known contact between the two sides since the outbreak of conflict involving the group and the newly formed body tasked with overseeing post-war Gaza.

One source indicated that the U.S. delegation included Aryeh Lightstone, an aide to Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, with expectations of further discussions to follow. However, such direct engagement with Hamas—an organization officially designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization—raises serious concerns about the broader implications of this approach.

Opening dialogue with Hamas risks granting legitimacy to a group that has consistently rejected Israel’s right to exist and has a........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)