President Donald Trump on Thursday announced a new framework that would require Hamas to disarm in stages before Israel withdraws its military from Gaza, calling the proposal a key step toward a broader peace agreement.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the plan would ultimately replace Hamas' rule with a new Palestinian government working alongside the Board of Peace, an international body overseeing Gaza's future reconstruction.
“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. “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”
Trump said the agreement would unfold in "carefully structured phases," though he did not disclose a timeline or explain how each stage would be implemented.
“The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” he wrote. “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.”
The announcement comes as negotiators continue working through one of the most difficult issues in any postwar settlement: how to ensure Hamas no longer operates as an armed force inside Gaza.
A U.S. official acknowledged Israel remains unconvinced Hamas will actually surrender its weapons.
“They’re very skeptical that Hamas will disarm. But again, they’re not really being asked to do much in the process because this isn’t really a trust deal. This is really, you know, it’s a conditions-based deal. And as things happen, that everyone has to follow the obligations they’ve taken,” the official said.
According to Amit Segal, chief political analyst for Israel's N12 News, the proposal calls for Hamas to turn over its weapons within weeks at depots secured by multinational forces. The group would also halt military operations and stop recruiting fighters.
Israel, meanwhile, would keep its forces in place behind the current "yellow line" dividing Gaza until the disarmament process is completed.
Not everyone involved believes the current proposal goes far enough.
The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday that a 15-point draft under discussion does not "adequately address" Israel's demand for the complete demilitarization of Gaza. The newspaper said those concerns were conveyed to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who serves as a mediator and sits on the Board of Peace.
U.S. and Board of Peace officials said the first objective is establishing what they described as a "complete monopoly of weapons" so Hamas cannot interfere with the peace process once it begins.
The process would begin with the transfer of police firearms before expanding to heavy weapons, weapons depots and tunnel infrastructure.
“That will obviously be a very technical process in which we will rely heavily on the expertise and support of the International Stabilization Force, which has studied this situation for months now and looked at how this can be done,” one official said.
The final stage would focus on collecting privately held weapons under existing Palestinian law.
“Of course, there’s the issue of the militias and the clans that exist in Gaza that they will also have to demilitarize and decommission their weapons as part of this process,” the official said.
Once both sides verify that disarmament has been completed, Hamas would hand over civilian and security responsibilities to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a governing body created by the Board of Peace.
Only then would Israel begin withdrawing its military under a timetable that officials say still must be finalized.
“And last but not least, is the main principle of reconstruction and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip,” the official said.
