US President Donald Trump announced that the Board of Peace has reached an agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, calling it a historic and monumental step toward lasting peace and security in the region, according to Nypost and BBC News. A senior Hamas official told the BBC that the group agreed to the Board of Peace’s plan to completely disarm in Gaza and that an official statement would be released soon. The development marks a major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan.
Trump Announces Board of Peace Agreement for Gaza Disarmament
The deal was eight months in the making, according to US and Board of Peace officials, who noted that final communications came through mediators. Trump thanked the mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for helping negotiate the agreement. Earlier in the month, Hamas dismantled its own government in Gaza to make way for a new governing panel previously established by the Board of Peace, which is chaired by Trump. The initial ceasefire and peace agreement were secured following efforts last October, though the Palestinian faction did not immediately move to disarm itself at that time.
Phased Implementation, Security, and Israeli Withdrawal
According to Scrippsnews, the agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases. Trump stated that as disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza, and an International Stabilization Force will work alongside a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for keeping Gaza safe for residents and neighbors. The phased process will also see Gaza cleared of weapons and deemed ready for reconstruction on a sector-by-sector basis.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hamas’s extensive network of tunnels must be disclosed and destroyed. A Board of Peace official estimated that decommissioning all weapons held by Hamas and Gaza militias may take between 200 and 350 days. The official explained that disarming other militias will come first because their weapons were acquired over a recent period, whereas Hamas operates with an almost state-state army structure featuring tunnels and production facilities that require a more careful and detailed process.
Israel’s Stance and Regional Context
While the agreement was announced, Israel has yet to comment officially on the deal, though various reports highlighted differing initial reactions. According to the Washington Examiner, a US official noted that the Israeli government remains very skeptical that Hamas will disarm. However, the official emphasized that the plan is a conditions-based deal rather than a trust deal, meaning Israel is not being asked to do much other than adhere to the 20-point plan it agreed to initially.
Hostilities in the region began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led an attack on Israel that resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 people taken hostage. Israel responded with a massive military campaign in Gaza. According to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, more than 73,290 people have been killed during the conflict.