What happened: Trump announces a Board of Peace disarmament announcement for Gaza

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States-established Gaza ceasefire oversight body, the Board of Peace, reached a “historic agreement” on disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. Trump framed the disarmament agreement as part of a transition to a new Palestinian government managing Gaza in coordination with the Board of Peace. Trump also described a security setup that includes Israeli forces withdrawing and an International Stabilization Force working with a new Palestinian police force to ensure Gaza’s safety. Trump stated that implementation would be phased under the Trump “20-Point Plan.”

Hamas acknowledged the agreement but conditioned ending Hamas’s armed rule and abandoning weapons on two requirements: Israel withdrawing troops from Gaza and Israel stopping the killing of Palestinians.

Israeli reactions included scepticism from senior Israeli officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond immediately. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called the disarmament agreement unacceptable and said assassinations in Gaza must continue. Israeli media reported a claim by a senior Israeli official that Israel will not withdraw without “genuine disarmament” by Hamas.

Background and earlier position: troop withdrawal versus armed-group disarmament

Ceasefire-to-disarmament negotiations often stall when armed groups and governments attach different conditions to the same transition milestones. In Gaza-linked negotiations, a central dispute can be whether troop withdrawal and violence cessation must occur before armed-group disarmament, or whether armed-group disarmament must be demonstrated before troop withdrawal. Hamas’s stated condition tied disarmament-related outcomes to Israel withdrawing troops and stopping killings, while Israeli officials’ reported stance tied withdrawal to “genuine disarmament” by Hamas.

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