Donald Trump Announces 'Historic' Agreement For Complete Disarmament Of Hamas In Gaza

US President Donald Trump announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas on Truth Social on Thursday. This establishes a major milestone for future administration in the territory, as reported by AFP.

Trump wrote on his social media platform: "Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza." He said the disarmament would take place in "carefully structured phases" to ensure lasting peace and security.

A senior Hamas official confirmed the progress, telling AFP: "An agreement has been reached regarding the issue of weapons...Furthermore, an agreement has been reached on a gradual withdrawal of [Israeli forces]."

Israel and its UN Mission offered no immediate official statement regarding the announcement.

A ceasefire has remained in place since October, though violence continues despite the pause in major military operations. Thursday strikes in Gaza killed at least four people, including two children, health officials said.

Roadmap For Gaza Governance

Trump's 20-point peace plan establishes the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). This technocratic committee will manage transitional governance during the immediate postwar period.

An anonymous diplomatic source confirmed the strategic framework, telling AFP: "We continue to advance the implementation roadmap...with all weapons decommissioned...One authority, one law, one weapon."

The roadmap mandates the elimination of all tunnels, weapon depots and production facilities. The NCAG and the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) will jointly control these decommissioned sites.

Cairo will host a meeting of mediators "soon", state-linked Al-Qahera News reported. Negotiators from the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey will gather to discuss implementing the second phase of the ceasefire plan.

Hurdles And Implementation Timelines

Obstacles remain severe. A Hamas source told AFP the group is awaiting Israel's response to amendments it submitted regarding two articles in the Board of Peace roadmap.

The framework faces resistance from Israeli leadership. An Israeli political source told AFP the deal does not "satisfactorily" address demands for full demilitarisation as a precondition.

Disarmament will require significant time. US and Board of Peace officials said heavy weapons surrender and tunnel dismantling could take 200 to 350 days.

Regional geopolitics add complexity. Iran advised Hamas to reject the deal. Tehran remains preoccupied with its own conflict with the US and cannot provide extensive direct support.

The conflict began after the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack. That assault left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Israel's retaliatory offensive has since killed over 73,000 Palestinians, the Gaza Health Ministry stated.