President Trump announced that the Board of Peace has agreed to a plan for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, linking Israeli withdrawal to completion of disarmament. Reports are conflicting: mediators and some negotiators are said to have signed an agreement, while Israeli officials and other sources say the terms remain unacceptable or unconfirmed. The announcement forms part of the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire and reconstruction plan, but major questions remain about formal acceptance by Hamas and Israel and how implementation would proceed.
Trump Announces Board Of Peace Agreement on 'Complete Disarmament' of Hamas — Acceptance by Parties Unclear
[Reuters]
US President Donald Trump announced that the Board of Peace has reached an agreement intended to achieve the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. The president described the pact as a key step toward a new Palestinian government overseeing Gaza, but it remains unclear whether Hamas or Israel have formally accepted the terms.
From Trump (Truth Social): "This is a major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan. The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases. 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."
Mr. Trump said the disarmament effort and Gaza's reconstruction are part of the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire plan. He thanked mediators he credited with brokering the deal, naming Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
Independent reporting shows the situation remains fluid. Agence France-Presse, citing Egyptian state media, said Cairo will host talks on the plan's second phase. Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reported that mediators' talks with Hamas leaders in Cairo had made rare progress, but an Israeli official told Reuters that the proposed terms were not acceptable to Jerusalem.
The Times of Israel later reported — citing an unnamed source — that negotiators representing Hamas, the Board of Peace and the mediating countries had signed an agreement. That report also said "an Israeli office" issued a statement that the disarmament proposal did not meet Israel's demands.
Earlier reporting indicated division: Israeli media said Israel opposed the draft deal, while in April a senior Palestinian official told the BBC that Hamas had rejected a disarmament plan proposed by a senior figure involved in the Trump peace effort. Hamas recently elected Khalil al-Hayya as its leader after the killing of Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces in October 2024; al-Hayya has led recent indirect ceasefire delegations in Egypt and Qatar.
The BBC has reported that the Board of Peace was originally conceived to help end the war and oversee Gaza's reconstruction, but that the board's draft charter does not mention the Palestinian territory and appears structured in a way that could supplant certain United Nations functions.
Context: On 7 October 2023, Hamas carried out a deadly attack on Israel that left approximately 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. Israel's subsequent military campaign in Gaza has caused a severe humanitarian toll. According to the Gaza health ministry, run by Hamas, more than 73,290 people have died, including 21,280 children; independent verification of casualty counts varies and numbers remain disputed.
This announcement comes amid continuing diplomatic negotiations and contested claims about the deal's scope and consent. Key questions remain about whether the agreement has been formally accepted by the primary parties, how disarmament would be implemented, the role and mandate of any international stabilization force, and how reconstruction and governance in Gaza would be organized.
Help us improve.
