Key takeaways:
- Trump said the agreement would disarm Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as disarmament is completed.
- Hamas and Israel have not publicly commented; the BBC said their participation was unclear, while Al Jazeera reported it had received a copy of a document agreed to by Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
- More than 73,290 people have been killed in Gaza, including 21,280 children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry as reported by the BBC.
President Donald Trump said his Board of Peace has reached an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, calling it a key step toward a new governing arrangement for the Palestinian territory.
The announcement, made Thursday on Truth Social, was not immediately confirmed publicly by Hamas or Israel. The BBC reported it was unclear whether either side was part of the agreement and said neither had commented. Al Jazeera reported that Hamas had not officially commented but said it had received a copy of the document agreed to by Hamas and other Palestinian factions.
“This is a major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan,” Trump wrote. “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 said the agreement was “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.” He added: “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”
The second phase of a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan includes the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza. Trump said Israel would withdraw from Gaza as disarmament is completed and that an International Stabilization Force would work with a new Palestinian police force after that process.
“Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE,” Trump wrote.
Hamas leaders have been in Cairo since late last week discussing the ceasefire deal with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, Al Jazeera reported. An unnamed Hamas official was quoted earlier Thursday as saying the talks were “positive” and “making progress.” Hamas announced on July 6 the dissolution of the body it led that had governed Gaza for nearly two decades, according to Al Jazeera.
The BBC reported that in April, Hamas rejected a disarmament plan from a senior figure involved in Trump’s Gaza peace efforts, citing a senior Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations.
The Board of Peace has previously been linked to efforts to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and oversee reconstruction, the BBC reported earlier this year. But the BBC said its proposed charter did not mention the Palestinian territory and appeared to be designed to supplant functions of the United Nations.
Hamas led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza. More than 73,290 people have been killed in Gaza, including 21,280 children, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, the BBC reported.
Al Jazeera reported that 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. It also reported that six Palestinians, including two children, were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza on Thursday.
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