Trump announces deal on disarming Hamas

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his Board of Peace has reached an agreement with Hamas on the full disarmament of the group and other armed formations in the Gaza Strip.

According to Trump, the deal is to become one of the main stages in implementing the American peace plan. It involves the transfer of civilian administration and security control to a new Palestinian technocratic government.

The disarmament process is planned to be carried out in phases over approximately 200-250 days. First, the weapons of Hamas's civil police are to be handed over to new Palestinian law enforcement agencies. Then heavy weapons are to be decommissioned, and tunnels and weapons production facilities eliminated.

Independent observers are to monitor the implementation of the agreements. International stabilization forces will assist in collecting weapons, training Palestinian police, and taking over control of territories as Israeli troops withdraw.

Hamas representative Ghazi Hamad confirmed that the complex negotiations concluded with an agreement. At the same time, he stated that the group will not begin disarmament until the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. According to him, the transfer of weapons is to take place under the control of a new Palestinian body, with no Israeli involvement.

This position differs from the scheme presented by Trump, in which disarmament of Hamas and Israeli withdrawal are to happen in parallel and in phases. The final timeline for the Israeli military exit is still being coordinated.

In early July, Hamas already announced the dissolution of the body that governed the Gaza Strip and its readiness to transfer civilian authority to the National Committee for Managing Gaza. However, at that point, the disarmament issue remained unresolved.

Trump's official peace plan stipulates that Hamas and other groups will have no role in governing Gaza. Israeli forces are to gradually leave the territory after the completion of the agreed demilitarisation phases and the deployment of international forces.

Based on materials from: Axios, Board of Peace