On Friday, Hamas announced for the first time that it has accepted a proposal to end the conflict with Israel, including proposals for disarmament, and a phased Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
The text of the agreement has not been released publicly yet but President Trump described it as a historic agreement to secure the disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.
Posting on Truth Social, he 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.”
Trump’s statement was issued nine months after a ceasefire was brokered by the United States. The talks had been stalled for most part on how to implement the second part of the agreement, which calls for the removal of Hamas forces and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Read More: Hamas Dissolves Gaza Governing Body, Paving Way for Technocratic Administration
The plan would be implemented in a gradual and orderly process, Israeli forces would begin to pull back at the same time as the disarmament process and an International Stabilization Force would be deployed in Gaza to work with a new Palestinian police force.
One copy of the agreement was sent to Al Jazeera, which reported that it contained the exact roadmap for disarmament, which will be drawn up in 14 days, with possible extensions if approved by an international body for verification and agreed to by all signatories.
The police would hand over their weapons first before decommissioning heavy weapons. Perhaps most importantly, the agreement does not call for any weapons to be transferred to Israel or any non-Palestinian organization; the National Committee being the sole guardian of weapons in Gaza.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s negotiating team, said the movement was making “concessions for the sake of our people in the Gaza Strip, to save them from killing and displacement,” while warning that the agreement contains a “clear provision stating that Israel must commit to and implement its obligations. If Israel does not implement the agreement, neither will we.”
Read More: Israel Approves International Stabilization Force for Gaza Ahead of Netanyahu’s US Visit
The Board of Peace confirmed that Hamas has “agreed to a detailed Roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire,” adding that the National Committee for Administration of Gaza will “soon begin a phased transition toward full authority.”
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, acknowledged that the deal “took months of very difficult negotiations,” but cautioned, “What happens next matters even more. Implementation and verification have to be real.”
Israel has issued no immediate formal statement confirming the agreement. Notwithstanding the diplomatic progress, Israeli strikes killed at least six Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, including two children.
Significant implementation challenges remain, and the agreement’s durability will depend on whether both parties honor their respective obligations.
