Hamas accepts Gaza disarmament framework
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- Hamas accepted the Board of Peace's framework to completely disarm in Gaza — its first such acceptance — covering inventorying and storage of remaining heavy weapons under Palestinian supervision.
- Hamas insisted on the wording "inventorying and storing weapons" under Palestinian oversight rather than handing them over to Israel, a senior negotiator told the BBC, calling the talks "long and extremely difficult."
- Khalil al-Hayya became head of Hamas after recent leadership elections, and Palestinian officials said the new leadership was prepared to take "the most consequential political decision" driven by devastating humanitarian conditions facing more than two million Palestinians.
- If implemented, the deal could mark the first credible step toward ending a war that has lasted nearly three years and open the way for a broader political process.
- In Gaza, the announcement was met with little public enthusiasm, with residents online expressing deep skepticism after years of failed ceasefires and collapsed agreements.
Why it matters: Hamas's acceptance removes what the BBC calls the most significant obstacle to the Trump-backed peace initiative, but the language dispute — Palestinian oversight, not handover to Israel — signals that implementation remains untested. With the war approaching three years and more than two million Palestinians in humanitarian crisis, public skepticism in Gaza suggests the deal's credibility hinges on whether it delivers tangible relief and allows displaced families to return.
