President Donald Trump took to social media Thursday to announce what he called "a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all armed groups in Gaza." The deal, he said, is a major milestone in his 20-point peace plan and will be "carried out in carefully structured phases."
The announcement came from the Board of Peace, a group that includes mediators Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and the United States. In a statement, the Board said Hamas had agreed to a detailed roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire. Officials noted that for the first time, Hamas committed to relinquishing all weapons ahead of an Israeli withdrawal.
Trump thanked the mediators and his negotiating team, saying Gaza will transition to a new Palestinian government working with the Board of Peace, while Israel gains security guarantees. He also warned that the threat that emerged on Oct. 7 "will NOT be allowed to rebuild."
Skepticism Clouds the Breakthrough
But here's where things get complicated. Despite Trump's characterization of the deal as final, Reuters reported that a Hamas official described it only as a draft. U.S. officials also said Israel remains skeptical that Hamas will actually surrender its weapons. A Hamas source told Reuters that the draft calls for heavy weapons to be stored under Palestinian, not Israeli, control.
Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera that the group won't act on disarmament until Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza. That's a pretty big caveat.
Israel's formal endorsement of the roadmap remains unconfirmed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in Washington on Wednesday as part of a broader round of talks with U.S. officials.
The plan follows U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803 and will be overseen by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and the International Stabilization Force.
Violence Persists on the Ground
Meanwhile, the fragile truce is being tested. Israeli strikes killed at least three people in Gaza Thursday, including two children, even as mediators met Hamas leaders in Cairo. Gaza health officials said the deaths add to a toll exceeding 1,200 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire took effect.
So, is this a historic breakthrough or just another piece of paper? The gap between Trump's optimism and the on-the-ground reality is wide. Hamas says it won't disarm until Israel withdraws, Israel doesn't trust Hamas to disarm, and the violence continues. The roadmap may be a step forward, but it's a long road ahead.
