Trump Announces Hamas Disarmament; Israel Unconvinced
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- Trump announced on Truth Social that the Board of Peace reached a historic agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, with disarmament in structured phases tied to an Israeli withdrawal and deployment of an International Stabilization Force alongside a new Palestinian police force.
- Hamas officials confirmed the deal includes provisions on the group's weapons and a gradual Israeli withdrawal, with negotiator Ghazi Hamad stating "Israel will not intervene in the issue of disarmament" and that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza will undertake the task.
- An Israeli political source said the proposed deal does not "satisfactorily" address Israeli demands, insisting on complete disarmament including removal of all weapons from Gaza and full demilitarization of the strip as a precondition for any process.
- A diplomatic source said the roadmap establishes "no exceptions for certain weapons or certain people — one authority, one law, one weapon," with a verification mechanism to ensure compliance and all heavy and light weapons placed under NCAG control in coordination with the International Stabilization Force.
- Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey helped broker the framework, and Cairo will host a meeting "soon" of Gaza truce mediators — joined by the United States — to discuss implementing the second phase of the ceasefire.
- Iran, a longtime Hamas sponsor, counseled group members against accepting a deal but is unable to offer much support because it is "preoccupied with the conflict with the United States," according to an official familiar with the talks.
Why it matters: The announcement moves the second phase of Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan forward, but Israel's public insistence on complete disarmament up front — rather than the phased structure agreed to — conflicts with the framework's design, and Israeli strikes that killed four people including two children on the same day underscore how fragile the nine-month-old ceasefire remains.
