Trump Announces Historic Hamas Disarmament Deal Reached by Board of Peace
Trump Announces Hamas Disarmament Agreement
US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his Board of Peace had reached what he called a "historic agreement" for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. [2] Trump described the development as a major step toward implementing his plan to end the war. [2] He said the agreement marked "a monumental step toward lasting peace and security" and represented a major milestone in the implementation of his "20-Point Plan" for Gaza. [5] Trump stated that the deal would lead to Gaza being governed by a new Palestinian government that works closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people. [4] At the same time, he said Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks. [4] Trump asserted that the threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will not be allowed to rebuild. [5] He thanked Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye for their mediation efforts and praised his administration's role in securing the agreement. [5]
Details of the Phased Roadmap
According to Trump, the agreement will be implemented in "carefully structured phases," with the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups taking place first. [5] 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. [5] The roadmap under discussion in Cairo would see all heavy and light weapons in Gaza decommissioned. [4] The plan calls for a surge in humanitarian aid, governance by a civilian Palestinian administration, the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the deployment of an international force to help maintain security. [4] Authority would be transferred in phases to the US-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza under the principle of "one authority, one law, one weapon." [4] The plan includes the elimination of tunnels, arms stockpiles and weapons production facilities, with no remaining militant infrastructure in Gaza by the end of the process. [4] The roadmap is based on reciprocal steps rather than trust. [4]
Cairo Talks and Positions of the Parties
Cairo talks between mediators and Hamas leaders led to the agreement, according to Trump. [4] Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey participated in the talks on the second phase of Trump's Gaza plan. [4] A Hamas official said the group was coming with a "positive and good" response but did not confirm full disarmament. [4] Hamas wants Israel to commit to ending attacks on Gaza and withdrawing its forces. [4] Sources close to Hamas said the group was willing to "confine and store" heavy weapons under a Palestinian body rather than hand them over to Israel. [4] An Israeli official said Israel had rejected a 15-point document because it did not provide a satisfactory response to demands for complete disarmament, including removal of weapons from Gaza and complete demilitarisation of the Strip. [4] The diplomat close to the talks said negotiations were making progress toward the roadmap. [4] Two Egyptian sources said Hamas had agreed to several contentious points, including the handover of weapons, but had requested changes regarding the definition of the infrastructure to be dismantled. [4] Progress remains uncertain pending Israel's response. [4]
Ongoing Violence in Gaza
Israeli strikes killed at least six Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, including two children, medics said. [4] Health officials said separate Israeli strikes had killed at least two children, a woman and three men in Gaza on Thursday. [4] The latest deaths add to a toll of more than 1,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, killed by Israeli attacks since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza health officials. [4] The Israeli military said it struck Hamas militants in the enclave. [4] The truce halted full-scale fighting but has not ended near-daily Israeli strikes. [4] Four Israeli soldiers have been killed by militants in Gaza since the ceasefire. [4]
Separate Iran-US-Jordan Escalation
Iran's Revolutionary Guards confirmed launching an attack on Jordan's Al Azraq air base, saying they targeted US aircraft there. [3] Jordan's military said its air defences shot down five Iranian missiles targeting its territory, adding the attack caused no casualties. [3] The US military said it struck dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets in Iran, including military command centres and drone facilities, in a two-hour operation launched after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East. [3] A US attack killed three people, including a two-year-old child, on Iran's Qeshm island. [3] Signs of reluctance to widen the conflict are emerging in Tehran, with conservative politicians and media urging restraint even as they accuse the United States and Israel of orchestrating attacks. [1]
Background on the Board of Peace
The announcement comes months after Trump formally launched the Board of Peace during the World Economic Forum in Davos. [5] Initially proposed as part of his Gaza ceasefire initiative, the body was later expanded into a broader international conflict mediation platform. [5] The Board of Peace is chaired by Trump and includes several senior US officials and international figures on its founding executive board, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, former UK prime minister Tony Blair and Jared Kushner. [5] Around 35 countries had agreed to participate in the initiative. [5] Trump concluded his announcement by calling the agreement an unprecedented breakthrough. [5]
What to watch next is whether Israel's response allows a broad accord to be reached on the roadmap, as the main stumbling block remains the demilitarisation of Gaza.
