Trump Announces 'Historic' Agreement

for Complete Disarmament of Hamas

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced what he described as a historic agreement securing the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups operating in Gaza,

calling it a critical step toward establishing a new Palestinian government in the enclave.

The Announcement

Trump made the announcement via a post on Truth Social, writing that the Board of Peace had reached a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, describing it as a monumental step toward lasting peace and security. Trump, who chairs the Board of Peace — a body established when a ceasefire was declared in Gaza — framed the deal as clearing the way for Gaza to eventually be governed by a new Palestinian government working alongside the Board.

Trump said disarmament would take place in phases, and as it is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw while an International Stabilization Force works alongside a newly formed Palestinian police force to take over security responsibility for Gaza. The disarmament push forms part of a broader agreement under which civilian and security control of Gaza would transfer to a new Palestinian technocratic government.

Hamas's Position Still Unclear

Notably, as of Thursday evening, Hamas had not confirmed the agreement, and CNN noted it had reached out to the group for comment. There was no immediate formal statement from Hamas on the matter, though sources familiar with ongoing talks in Cairo told AFP that the group was progressing toward a deal involving the decommissioning of its weapons.

However, a Hamas official did offer some confirmation and context. Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera that difficult negotiations had produced an agreement, though his account raised immediate questions about how it would actually be implemented. Hamad reportedly indicated the group would not take any steps on disarmament before Israel first withdraws from Gaza, and that a body referred to as the NCAG would carry out the disarmament process independently, without Israeli involvement — a sequencing that appears to diverge from Trump's description of a carefully structured, phased process in which Israeli withdrawal accompanies disarmament rather than following it.

How the Weapons Process Would Work

According to a source familiar with the talks, all weapons — both heavy and light — would come under the full control of the NCAG, working in coordination with and with the support of the International Stabilization Force. A verification mechanism is also expected to be built in to ensure compliance from all sides. Some terms of the deal had already circulated earlier, including that Hamas would surrender all its weapons within a matter of weeks and end all military activity and recruitment.

Israeli Skepticism

Despite the announcement, Israeli officials have expressed considerable doubt about whether Hamas will actually follow through. A US official told The Hill that Israel remains very skeptical Hamas will disarm, though the official noted Israel isn't being asked to do much in the current phase, since the arrangement is conditions-based rather than trust-based, with obligations kicking in as each side follows through on its commitments. Axios similarly reported that Israeli officials remain deeply skeptical Hamas will surrender its weapons, and that the Hamas official's own comments suggest the sequencing between disarmament and Israeli withdrawal could still be contested going forward.

Wider Context: Trump's 20-Point Plan

The agreement, brokered by the Board of Peace along with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, represents what officials are calling a major milestone in implementing Trump's 20-Point Plan — a framework introduced last year aimed at ending the Gaza war and rebuilding the territory. Under that original 20-point plan, the second phase of the ceasefire was always meant to involve Hamas's disarmament alongside a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.

Earlier this month, Hamas had already announced it would dissolve its government in Gaza — a move experts said was intended to pressure Israel, since progress on the broader US-brokered ceasefire plan had otherwise stalled. Notably, that earlier announcement made no mention of disarmament, which is what makes Thursday's development significant, assuming it holds.

What Comes Next

The full agreement reportedly requires both Hamas and Israel to complete a complicated series of reciprocal, independently verified steps spread out over roughly seven to eight months. US and Board of Peace officials have said implementation will proceed through this reciprocal, verified process, while acknowledging that the exact timetable for Israel's withdrawal is still being finalized.

Given the gap between Trump's framing of the deal and Hamas's own stated conditions — particularly around whether Israeli withdrawal precedes or follows disarmament — the coming weeks are likely to test whether Thursday's announcement translates into an actual, verifiable process on the ground, or becomes another contested milestone in a peace plan that has faced repeated delays.