Trump Unveils Hamas Disarmament Deal, Awaits Israeli Approval

WASHINGTON-U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that an agreement had been reached for the phased disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, describing it as a major step toward post-war governance, while a senior Hamas official said implementation would depend on Israel’s approval of the deal.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said his Board of Peace had secured what he called a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed factions in Gaza. He said the process would be carried out in carefully structured phases, after which Israeli forces would withdraw and an International Stabilization Force (ISF) would work with a new Palestinian police force to maintain security.

Trump thanked Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye for their mediation efforts, saying the agreement represented a significant step toward long-term peace and stability in Gaza. His announcement came as negotiations continued in Cairo over the next phase of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

However, Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official involved in the negotiations, told Reuters that the movement would not begin implementing the phased disarmament agreement until Israel formally approved the text. Hamad said that once both parties endorsed the agreement, Israel would first be required to begin implementing the initial phase of the arrangement.

The issue of Hamas’s disarmament has remained one of the principal obstacles in negotiations over the second phase of the ceasefire that has been in place since October. Although the truce has reduced large-scale fighting, violence has continued, with Gaza health officials reporting that Israeli strikes killed at least four people, including two children, on Thursday.

Egyptian state-linked broadcaster Al-Qahera News reported that mediators from the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye are expected to meet in Cairo soon to discuss implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire roadmap. The broadcaster did not specify a date for the meeting but said discussions would focus on a framework already accepted by Hamas and other Palestinian factions.

Under Trump’s 20-point peace plan, the second phase of the ceasefire includes the gradual disarmament of Hamas, the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the transfer of civilian administration to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a body of Palestinian technocrats tasked with governing the territory during a transitional period.

A diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations told AFP that the proposed roadmap envisages the transfer of all heavy and light weapons to the authority of the NCAG, working in coordination with the International Stabilization Force established under the Board of Peace initiative. The source said the framework would include dismantling tunnels, weapons depots and arms production facilities, while a verification mechanism would monitor compliance by both parties.

Earlier on Thursday, a Hamas source told AFP that the movement had submitted amendments to parts of the proposal and was awaiting Israel’s response. According to the source, Hamas proposed changes to provisions concerning weapons, removing certain points and replacing them with alternative language, although no further details were disclosed.

An Israeli political source told AFP that the current proposal did not adequately address Israel’s security requirements. The source reiterated Israel’s longstanding position that any agreement must guarantee Hamas’s complete disarmament, the removal of all weapons from Gaza and the full demilitarization of the enclave before broader political arrangements could proceed.

The Israeli source also said the Gaza issue was not discussed during this week’s meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump in Washington, despite continuing diplomatic efforts to advance the ceasefire and shape post-war governance in the territory.