Trump announces phased Hamas disarmament deal, but Israeli backing remains unclear

CAIRO/WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced what he described as a “historic” agreement to begin the phased disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, though questions remain over Israel’s support for the proposal and whether the Palestinian group will ultimately relinquish its weapons.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said negotiations in Cairo involving mediators and Hamas representatives had resulted in an agreement that would see Hamas disarm in stages.

“Today, the Board of Peace reached a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” Trump wrote, calling the development “a monumental step toward lasting peace and security.”

He said the proposed arrangement would pave the way for a new Palestinian administration to govern Gaza in coordination with the Board of Peace, while addressing Israel’s long-standing security concerns by preventing the territory from being used for future attacks.

However, the announcement was met with caution from both Hamas and US officials.

A Hamas official characterised the document as a draft rather than a final agreement, indicating that discussions were still ongoing. Sources close to the group said the proposal envisages placing Hamas’ heavy weapons under the supervision of a Palestinian body rather than immediately handing them over.

Meanwhile, US officials acknowledged that Israel remains unconvinced Hamas would fully disarm under the proposed framework. An Israeli official had earlier said Israel had rejected a version of the proposal, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding its implementation.

The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement.

A Hamas source told Reuters the “draft agreement” stipulates that heavy weapons would only be stored and kept under the control of a Palestinian administration, and the weapons cannot be transferred to Israel.

“We will not take any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip,” Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas negotiating team, told Al Jazeera.

A U.S. official on Thursday told reporters that Israel is “very skeptical that Hamas will disarm.”

“We’re very confident they will adhere to it,” the U.S. official added. “If they don’t, obviously President Trump would be very, very disappointed.”

There were also questions about how long the process would take. A Board of Peace official gave an estimate of 200 to 320 days, but a U.S. official played down that timeline.

An Israeli official, who declined to be identified, said before Trump’s announcement Israel had rejected a proposal.

“Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarization of the Strip as a precondition for any process,” the official said earlier on Thursday.

“The 15-point document in question does not provide a satisfactory response to these demands and Israel conveyed its objections.”

Earlier, Israeli strikes killed at least six Palestinians in Gaza, including two children, medics said.

A roadmap towards Hamas disarmament?

Hamas leaders held talks with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey on the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan, as presented to them by his Board of Peace.

Trump set up the board to oversee a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza and rebuild the devastated territory. He appointed members of the board with himself as chair and said last year that the board will supervise Gaza’s temporary governance.

“Ahead of us is a Gaza rebuilt, governed by Palestinians and at peace with Israel an a political horizon to a meaningful resolution the Israeli Palestinian conflict,” Nickolay Mladenov, Trump’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, said in a statement after the president’s post.

Officials involved in the talks shared few details about plans to rebuild Gaza.

The plan also calls for a surge in humanitarian aid, governance by a civilian Palestinian administration, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the deployment of an international force to help maintain security.

Handover of weapons could be sticking point

The reality on the ground in Gaza, so far, remains far from the goals of the agreement as Hamas wants Israel to commit to ending attacks on Gaza and withdraw its forces. It is not yet clear what will happen regarding light or personal weapons or whether the new Hamas stance will be accepted by Israel or the Board of Peace.

The plan includes the elimination of tunnels, arms stockpiles and weapons production facilities, a diplomat involved in the talks said, adding that by the end of the process there would be no remaining militant infrastructure in Gaza.

“This isn’t really a trust deal,” a U.S. official said on Thursday, calling the agreement a “conditions-based deal.”

The Israeli military has continued to expand its military occupation of Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Israel intends to expand the area under its control to 70% of the enclave. It remains unclear how many forces would be available to deploy with the planned International Stabilization Force, and whether Israeli troops would withdraw from the enclave.

Attacks continue

Health officials said separate Israeli strikes had killed at least two children, a woman and three men in Gaza on Thursday. The Israeli military said it struck Hamas militants in the enclave.

The ceasefire in Gaza has been repeatedly violated, with more than 1,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, being killed by Israeli attacks and four Israeli soldiers being killed by militants since the truce began in October, according to Gaza health officials and Israeli authorities, respectively.

Hamas does not usually disclose its losses.