GAZA CITY: Any discussions on Gaza must begin with a total halt to Israeli aggression, Hamas said in a statement on Thursday, as Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” maps out the territory’s future, with Israel insisting on the disarmament before reconstruction starts.

The US president’s board met for its inaugural session in Washington on Thursday, with a number of countries pledging money and personnel for rebuilding, more than four months into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

But the board meeting offered no timeline for Hamas to lay down its weapons or for Israel’s army to withdraw from the shattered enclave.

“Any political process or any arrangement under discussion concerning the Gaza Strip and the future of our Palestinian people must start with the total halt of aggression,” Hamas said in the statement.

The Palestinian group also said arrangements for Gaza’s future must start with the “lifting of the blockade, and the guarantee of our people’s legitimate national rights, first and foremost their right to freedom and self-determination”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that Hamas must disarm before any reconstruction begins. The Israeli leader did not attend the Washington meeting, but was represented by his foreign minister Gideon Saar.

Hamas has frequently accused Israel of violating the terms of the ceasefire, which came into effect last October after two years of devastation.­

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2026