Hamas agrees to disarm Gaza; Israeli support for Trump's Board of Peace plan uncertain
The Gaza Board of Peace says Hamas has agreed to disarm under a detailed roadmap finalised with mediating countries, marking what it described as a historic breakthrough in efforts to implement the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, even as major questions remain over the deal's implementation and Israel has yet to publicly endorse it.
The latest roadmap, agreed with Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and the United States, outlines a phased process under which Hamas will surrender its weapons, Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza, and governance of the enclave will be transferred to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). The International Stabilization Force will support the new administration in maintaining security, enforcing the rule of law and facilitating humanitarian assistance.
According to Al Jazeera, the agreement stipulates that heavy weapons, tunnels and military production sites will be dismantled and placed under the supervision of the NCAG and an international monitoring mechanism. The Board also said no weapons would be transferred to Israel or any Palestinian faction during the disarmament process, while stressing that the NCAG would operate independently in administering Gaza's public institutions and services.
The latest announcement follows US President Donald Trump's declaration on Thursday that a deal had been reached for Hamas to disarm and for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza, though neither Hamas nor Israel immediately confirmed the agreement at the time.
Trump said the agreement would be implemented in "carefully structured phases", with Israeli forces withdrawing as disarmament progresses and an international stabilization force working alongside a new Palestinian police force to secure Gaza, reports AP. His 20-point ceasefire plan envisions Hamas surrendering its weapons, dismantling its tunnel network, the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration, deployment of an international security force and the reconstruction of the war-ravaged enclave.
However, significant challenges remain. US and Gaza Board of Peace officials have acknowledged that while Gaza's police force could begin handing over weapons within weeks, the surrender of Hamas's heavy weapons and the dismantling of its military infrastructure could take between 200 and 350 days. Israel, which has long questioned Hamas's willingness to relinquish its arsenal, has not publicly responded to the latest roadmap.
The White House has said Israel was consulted throughout the negotiations and would not be required to undertake commitments beyond those outlined in Trump's ceasefire framework, primarily withdrawing its forces from Gaza and ending military operations as the agreement is implemented.
The Gaza war began after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people. Israel's subsequent military offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians including a large number of women, children and civilians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, while much of the territory has been devastated and large parts of its population displaced.