President Trump announced Thursday that the Board of Peace reached a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, calling it a monumental step toward lasting peace and security.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated: “Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.”
Trump, the 78-year-old U.S. president, expanded on the announcement with additional details about the agreement’s implementation and scope.
“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday.
Trump added a reassurance aimed at Israel regarding regional stability.
“At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks,” he continued.
The president outlined the phased approach to implementing the disarmament.
“The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases. 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 added.
Trump explicitly referenced the security threat from October 2023.
“The threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!” Trump wrote.
Trump specifically thanked the international mediators involved in brokering the agreement.
Trump thanked Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey and his “outstanding team” for their efforts as mediators.
Israeli officials immediately issued skeptical assessments of the Hamas position.
Israeli officials rejected the proposal, describing it as a Hamas “spin,” arguing that its terms do not correspond to the Trump framework agreed upon in October of last year.
One Israeli official stressed absolute demands regarding disarmament before any Israeli movement.
“Israel is demanding the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of all weapons from the Gaza Strip and the territory’s full demilitarization, as a precondition for any process,” an Israeli diplomatic official stated.
However, other Israeli officials took a more optimistic view of Hamas’s position on the agreement.
“It appears Hamas has surrendered and agreed to complete and absolute disarmament. They said the proposed agreement, if signed, would be strict and detailed, with no tricks and no compromises, requiring the dismantling of heavy and light weapons, tunnels, weapons depots and production facilities.” one official said.
Israeli analysts characterized the agreement in stark terms regarding Hamas.
“In practical terms, this is Hamas’ surrender. It accepted the framework that was already agreed with the mediators several months ago,” an official said.
U.S. officials offered a rationale for how the phased approach protects Israeli interests.
“This is a good deal for Israel because it solves the Gaza problem. If Hamas cheats, everything will stop and Israel didn’t give anything up,” an American source said.
International observers noted that Hamas was being pressured by mediators to sign the accord.
Hamas appeared inclined to accept the Board of Peace’s disarmament proposal for Gaza, recognizing that doing so would “put the ball in Israel’s court.” Mideast mediators Qatar, Egypt and Turkey—themselves under pressure from the U.S. to achieve a deal—have been leaning on Hamas to get on board, arguing that the terror group can avoid being deemed as the obstacle to an agreement.
However, some parties were working against an agreement.
Iran, on the other hand, is pushing the terror group to play for time and not to sign.
The Board of Peace, which oversees the agreement’s implementation, comprises senior U.S. and international officials.
Key members include U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, World Bank President Ajay Banga, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, and U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel.
In late January, Trump confirmed additional details about the Board’s governance structure.
Trump serves as Chairman of the Board of Peace, while senior advisors Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Gruenbaum manage daily strategy and operations.
The agreement represents a continuation of Trump’s broader peace framework for Gaza announced months earlier.
On September 29, in a press conference at the White House alongside Netanyahu, Trump announced a 20-point Gaza peace plan to end the war in Gaza. The plan called for a ceasefire and release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas within 72 hours of agreement by Hamas and Israel.
That initial phase was implemented in October.
A week later, on October 8, Israel and Hamas agreed to and implemented the first phase of the proposal to international relief and acclaim.
However, implementation immediately faced challenges from both sides.
Trump framed the disarmament as part of the ceasefire deal he brokered in October to end Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and devastated the Palestinian enclave. Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement, killing more than 1,200 Palestinians, seizing more territory, and continuing to restrict the movement of people and goods into and out of Gaza.
A Board of Peace source indicated progress toward a formal signing.
A source with Trump’s Board of Peace told Haaretz on Thursday that there had been significant progress in the talks between Israel and Hamas, and that the board is “close to finalizing” an agreement that could be signed in the coming hours or days.