Trump says Board of Peace reached Gaza disarmament deal; Israel rejects terms

U.S. President Donald Trump declared Thursday that his Board of Peace had reached what he called a "historic agreement" for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office swiftly rejected the proposal's terms, raising immediate questions about whether the deal can be implemented.

The Announcement

Trump, posting on Truth Social, said the agreement represented "a major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan" to end the war in Gaza that began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.reuters+1

Under the deal, disarmament would proceed in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as weapons are collected. An International Stabilization Force would work alongside a newly formed Palestinian police force to secure the territory, and a new Palestinian government would eventually assume governance.straitstimes+1

Trump thanked mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye for their roles in brokering the agreement and credited his negotiating team's "tireless work" with making the breakthrough possible.timesofisrael

Israel's Rejection

The Times of Israel News Corp ↗ 0.64% reported that Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying the Board of Peace's 15-point disarmament proposal "did not meet Israeli demands for Gaza's complete demilitarization." A senior Israeli diplomatic official said Israel had "conveyed its objections" to envoy Tony Blair, a member of the Board of Peace's executive board.israelnationalnews+2

"There will be no Israeli withdrawal from the Yellow Line in the Gaza Strip before Hamas disarms and demilitarizes," the official said, referring to the demarcation line dividing Gaza in two.israelnationalnews

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir went further, saying "the only way to speak to Nazis is through gun sights" and opposing any agreements with Hamas.worldisraelnews+1

Gaps Remain on the Ground

Reuters reported that talks between mediators and Hamas leaders in Cairo earlier Thursday had made "rare progress," with a Hamas official and a diplomat describing discussions as "positive." However, the two sides presented differing versions of what was agreed. Sources close to Hamas said the group was willing to confine and store heavy weapons under a Palestinian body rather than hand them over to Israel, while mediators insisted on full decommissioning with "no exceptions for certain weapons or certain people."tribune+1

A diplomatic source told AFP that the roadmap would eliminate "all tunnels, depots of weapons and any weapons production facilities," with Hamas having "no role in governing Gaza, either openly or behind the scenes." Hamas, which has not publicly commented on Trump's announcement, said it was still awaiting Israel's response to amendments it submitted to mediators.english.ahram

Israeli strikes killed at least six Palestinians in Gaza on Thursday, including two children, even as the negotiations continued.straitstimes+1