WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that negotiations in Cairo between mediators and Hamas representatives had resulted in an agreement outlining the phased disarmament of Hamas in Gaza. However, Hamas described the document as a draft, while US officials acknowledged that Israel remains doubtful the group will ultimately surrender its weapons.
“Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” Trump said in a social media post, adding that the disarmament would be carried out in phases.
“This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.”
Trump said the agreement would pave the way for Gaza to be administered by a new Palestinian government working alongside the Board of Peace.
“At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks,” he added.
The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Trump’s announcement.
A Hamas source told Reuters that the proposed agreement specifies that heavy weapons would be stored under the authority of a future Palestinian administration and would not be transferred to Israel.
“We will not take any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip,” Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ negotiating team, told Al Jazeera.
A US official told reporters that Israel remains “very sceptical that Hamas will disarm”.
“We’re very confident they will adhere to it,” the official said. “If they don’t, obviously President Trump would be very, very disappointed.”
Questions also remain over the timeline for implementation. A Board of Peace official estimated the process could take between 200 and 320 days, although a US official downplayed that projection.
Before Trump’s announcement, an Israeli official said Israel had rejected an earlier version of the proposal.
“Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarisation of the Strip as a precondition for any process,” the official said.
“The 15-point document in question does not provide a satisfactory response to these demands and Israel conveyed its objections.”
Earlier in the day, Israeli airstrikes killed at least six Palestinians in Gaza, including two children, according to local medics.
Roadmap for Gaza
Hamas leaders met with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye to discuss the second phase of Trump’s Gaza initiative presented by the Board of Peace.
The plan envisions a civilian Palestinian administration governing Gaza, increased humanitarian assistance, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force to help maintain security.
“Ahead of us is a Gaza rebuilt, governed by Palestinians and at peace with Israel an a political horizon to a meaningful resolution the Israeli Palestinian conflict,” Nickolay Mladenov, Trump’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, said in a statement after the president’s announcement.
The proposal also includes dismantling tunnels, weapons stockpiles and arms production facilities. However, it remains unclear how personal weapons would be handled or whether Israel will accept Hamas’ position on the issue.
US officials described the arrangement as a “conditions-based deal” rather than one built on mutual trust.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel intends to expand its control over 70 per cent of the Gaza Strip, raising further questions about the feasibility of troop withdrawals under the proposed framework.
EU welcomes proposal
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed the reported agreement but stressed that several conditions must be met before it can succeed.
“The plan to disarm Hamas in Gaza, if fully implemented, would be a constructive step towards peace,” she wrote on X. “Success depends on the full commitment of all parties.
“Verifying Hamas’ compliance will be a significant challenge. Israel would need to eventually withdraw from Gaza,” Kallas added.
She said the European Union is prepared to support the next phase of the process, including assistance for the National Committee and the International Stabilisation Force, while existing EU missions would contribute to Palestinian state-building efforts.
Fighting continues
Despite ongoing negotiations, hostilities continued across Gaza. Palestinian health officials said Israeli strikes killed at least six people on Thursday, including two children, a woman and three men.
The Israeli military said it had targeted Hamas fighters operating in the enclave.
Since the ceasefire began in October, more than 1,200 Palestinians — most of them civilians — and four Israeli soldiers have been killed in reported violations of the truce, according to Gaza health authorities and Israeli officials, respectively.
