Trump's Gaza Disarmament Plan: Can Hamas Really Lay Down Its Weapons?

US President Donald Trump has announced a proposed agreement to disarm Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza as part of a phased plan that also calls for an Israeli military withdrawal, the deployment of an international stabilisation force and the formation of a new Palestinian administration to govern the territory. The proposal, unveiled as part of his administration's peace initiative, lays out a roadmap for ending Hamas' military rule but leaves key questions over implementation unanswered.

If implemented, the proposal would mark a major shift in the conflict, ending Hamas' armed presence and its control over the territory. But Trump's announcement has been met with caution, as key details remain unresolved and neither side has indicated that implementation can begin immediately.

The proposal is better understood as a roadmap than a final agreement. It lays out a sequence of political and security steps that would have to be carried out over several months, with international mediation and monitoring at every stage. Whether the plan succeeds depends not only on Hamas surrendering its weapons but also on Israel's willingness to withdraw forces and accept a new governing arrangement in Gaza.

What has Trump proposed for Gaza?

According to Reuters, Trump's proposal centres on the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed factions in Gaza. The process would take place in phases alongside a gradual Israeli military withdrawal, with implementation overseen by international mediators including Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye.

The plan also calls for the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force and the creation of a new Palestinian police force responsible for maintaining internal security. Civil administration would shift to a new Palestinian governing body backed by the US-sponsored Board of Peace, which has been tasked with overseeing Gaza's political transition and reconstruction.

Rather than requiring all changes at once, the roadmap spreads implementation across several stages. Reports indicate the dismantling of Hamas' military infrastructure, including heavy weapons, rocket capabilities and tunnel networks, could take between 200 and 350 days, with international verification mechanisms monitoring compliance throughout the process. Reconstruction and humanitarian assistance would also be linked to progress made under the agreement.

How have Hamas and Israel responded?

The announcement does not mean the parties have reached a final settlement.

The Associated Press reported that Hamas has indicated support for the proposed framework while maintaining that any disarmament must be tied to a complete Israeli military withdrawal and broader political guarantees for Palestinians. The group has consistently argued that giving up its weapons cannot happen independently of a political settlement.

Israel's position remains different. Israeli leaders have repeatedly maintained that Hamas must first lose its military capabilities before any long-term arrangement can move forward. While Israeli officials have participated in discussions surrounding the proposal, there has been no public endorsement of the entire framework announced by Trump.

The difference is significant because both sides appear to support the same end goal under different conditions. Hamas wants Israeli withdrawal tied to the disarmament process, while Israel has demanded that Hamas' military wing be dismantled before wider political steps take effect. That disagreement over sequencing has complicated previous negotiations and could again become the biggest obstacle.

Meanwhile, fighting has not stopped. Military operations continued in Gaza after Trump's announcement, underlining that negotiations remain separate from the reality on the ground.

Can Hamas really be disarmed?

The Board of Peace is a US-backed body established to oversee Gaza's transition after the war. Under Trump's proposal, it would coordinate reconstruction, support the formation of a technocratic Palestinian administration and supervise the transfer of governing responsibilities away from Hamas.

Al Jazeera reported that the proposed framework also includes an internationally supervised verification process to monitor the surrender of weapons, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of replacement security institutions. The plan envisions Hamas gradually giving up its military role while a new Palestinian police force assumes responsibility for maintaining order.

Even with those mechanisms, implementation would be difficult.

Disarming Hamas means more than collecting firearms. The group's military infrastructure includes trained fighters, command networks, weapons stockpiles and an extensive tunnel system built over many years. Verifying that those capabilities have been dismantled would require sustained cooperation from Hamas, Israel and international monitors over an extended period.

There is also the political question of who governs Gaza after Hamas. Any replacement administration would need sufficient legitimacy among Palestinians while maintaining the confidence of international donors and regional mediators. Without that balance, security gains could prove difficult to sustain.

For now, Trump's announcement remains a proposed framework rather than a final agreement.

In short, Hamas' disarmament is possible under the proposal, but it remains contingent on political agreement and sustained implementation rather than the announcement alone.