Trump announces 'historic' Gaza disarmament deal as Israel stays silent
US President Donald Trump has announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, describing it as a "historic" step towards establishing a new Palestinian government. Senior Hamas officials confirmed that talks with Israel included provisions on weapons and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, but there was no immediate statement from Israel.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: "Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY." He said disarmament would occur in "carefully structured phases."
"As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors," he added, thanking Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for their mediation efforts.
The announcement came after sources familiar with ongoing talks in Cairo told AFP that Hamas was moving towards a deal involving the decommissioning of its weapons. A senior Hamas official said an agreement had been reached "regarding the issue of weapons" and on a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip.
The issue of Hamas's disarmament has been a major sticking point in the ceasefire that has been in effect since October. Despite the truce, violence has persisted. On Thursday, Israeli strikes killed at least four people, including two children, according to health officials in Gaza.
A diplomatic source said the implementation roadmap offers "a balanced and pragmatic path forward, with all weapons decommissioned and a phased transition of responsibilities taking place to hand over full authority to the technocratic government." The source, speaking anonymously, said there would be "no exceptions for certain weapons or certain people. One authority, one law, one weapon."
The plan also calls for "the elimination of all tunnels, depots of weapons and any weapons production facilities." All weapons, "heavy and light," will be placed under the control of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) in coordination with the International Stabilisation Force (ISF). A verification mechanism would ensure compliance by both sides, the source added.
A Hamas source familiar with the talks said the movement is "awaiting the Israeli response to the amendments we recently submitted to the mediators." The amendments concern two articles in the roadmap presented by Trump's Board of Peace.
Cairo is set to host a meeting "soon" of the Gaza truce mediators, which also include the United States, Qatar and Turkey, according to Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera News. The meeting will discuss implementing the second phase of the ceasefire plan, which under Trump's 20-point peace plan involves Hamas's disarmament and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The plan also provides for the NCAG, a group of Palestinian technocrats, to assume day-to-day governance during Gaza's transitional phase out of war. Under the roadmap, the new Palestinian police force would take over security responsibilities as the ISF supports the transition.
No specific timeline has been announced for the phased disarmament or the Israeli withdrawal. The upcoming Cairo meeting is expected to focus on the implementation roadmap, including verification mechanisms and the transfer of security responsibilities.
