Trump Gaza Deal Hits Hamas-Israel Sequencing Impasse
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- Trump announced a 'breakthrough agreement' for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, with a roadmap calling for Sharm el-Sheikh ceasefire implementation, an end to military operations, and phased Israeli withdrawal as weapons are stored under the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
- Israel has not publicly backed the roadmap, demanding 'genuine disarmament' and the removal of Hamas weapons from Gaza before any pullback from the Yellow Line; far-right Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir declared the draft 'unacceptable' on Telegram and insisted Israel's policy of assassinating Hamas leaders must continue.
- Hamas insists Israel must move first by ending attacks, withdrawing forces, and increasing aid before placing weapons in NCAG storage, and notably avoids the term 'disarmament' while refusing to hand weapons to Israel or any non-Palestinian party.
- The central dispute is sequencing: each side demands the other take the first substantive step, and the source notes previous diplomatic efforts have repeatedly collapsed over this exact issue.
- Under the Trump proposal, confiscated weapons would be stored under the NCAG technocratic body set up to run Gaza rather than handed to Israel or any non-Palestinian party—a detail that fuels both Hamas's refusal to call it 'disarmament' and Israeli objections.
Why it matters: Trump's announcement offers a framework, but with Israel refusing public backing, Ben-Gvir openly rejecting it from within the coalition, and Hamas conditioning compliance on Israeli steps first, the deal rehashes a sequencing trap that has killed prior ceasefires. Until one side blinks, the roadmap stays aspirational rather than operational.
