Hamas has yet to confirm its alleged readiness to fully disarm before Israeli troops withdraw from the Palestinian enclave
US President Donald Trump has claimed that his Board of Peace reached a “historic agreement” on the complete disarmament of Hamas and every other armed group in Gaza, although neither the Palestinian movement nor Israel immediately confirmed that a final deal had been concluded.
Trump announced the purported breakthrough on Truth Social on Thursday, calling it a “monumental step toward lasting peace and security” and a major milestone in his 20-point plan for the enclave.
“The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” he wrote. “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.”
Trump said Gaza would eventually be governed by a “new Palestinian government” working closely with the Board of Peace. He thanked Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye for mediating the talks, insisting that the territory would no longer be allowed to serve as a base for attacks against Israel.
Reports published shortly before Trump’s announcement, however, indicated that significant details remained unresolved. Hamas reportedly wants to retain “personal” small arms, while heavy weaponry would be stored under the supervision of a Palestinian body rather than destroyed. It also wants amnesty for members of the disbanded armed formations and for the process to be synchronized with an Israeli withdrawal – rather than simply surrendering all weapons in exchange for a promise that Israeli troops would subsequently leave.
The announcement came as Israeli strikes continued across Gaza despite the ceasefire introduced last October. The Gaza Health Ministry said hospitals received the bodies of six people on Thursday, as well as 34 wounded patients. The dead reportedly included an eight-year-old child killed in a strike on a displacement camp in Khan Younis and an 18-month-old baby killed when a home in the Bureij refugee camp was bombed. According to Gaza health authorities, at least 73,341 Palestinians have been killed and more than 174,000 wounded since Israel launched its military campaign in retaliation for the deadly Hamas raid of October 2023.
The Board of Peace was initially presented as a temporary body overseeing Gaza’s reconstruction and the transition to an unelected Palestinian technocratic administration. Its founding charter, however, authorizes it to pursue “peace-building” initiatives in other conflict-affected regions and grants Trump sweeping personal authority.
Trump holds veto power over all decisions, can issue directives on the organization’s behalf and can serve without a fixed term. He may be replaced only if he resigns or is unanimously declared incapacitated by the executive board – and he personally designates his successor. Invited members ordinarily receive three-year memberships, but the limit does not apply to those contributing more than $1 billion.
Palestinians have no representation on the Board’s upper governing bodies and are included only on the technocratic committee intended to manage Gaza’s day-to-day public services under its supervision.
