Trump says deal reached for Hamas to disarm, Israel to exit Gaza

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced what he described as a breakthrough agreement under which Hamas would disarm and Israeli forces would withdraw from the Gaza Strip, although neither Israel nor Hamas immediately confirmed the deal.

In a post on social media, Trump said the agreement would be implemented in "carefully structured phases", with Israeli troops withdrawing as Hamas completes the process of disarmament.

"As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilisation Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbours," Trump said.

The announcement comes nine months after a US-brokered ceasefire was signed between Israel and Hamas. Negotiations over the second phase of the agreement had stalled, with both sides divided over key issues including Hamas' disarmament and Gaza's post-war governance.

According to Trump, the proposed 20-point ceasefire plan calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons and dismantle its extensive tunnel network. In return, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza, a technocratic Palestinian administration would assume control, an international security force would be deployed, and reconstruction of the war-ravaged territory would begin.

US and Board of Peace officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the agreement as a significant step towards ending the conflict. However, they acknowledged that major challenges remain and declined to provide a definitive timeline for Hamas' disarmament.

Officials said Gaza's police force is expected to hand over its weapons to a Board of Peace-backed technocratic administration within the next two weeks. However, they noted that the police force does not include most Hamas fighters and that heavy weaponry is excluded from this phase of the agreement.

The surrender of heavy weapons and the dismantling of Hamas' tunnels and military infrastructure are expected to take place later in a process that officials estimate could take between 200 and 350 days.

A US official said Israel had been consulted throughout the negotiations and was not being asked to make commitments beyond those already outlined in Trump's ceasefire proposal, including withdrawing its troops from Gaza and ending air strikes.

The official added that Trump would be "very, very disappointed" if Israel failed to honour the agreement. Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House earlier this week, although neither leader disclosed details of their discussions.

Israel's mission to the United Nations declined immediate comment on Trump's announcement.

Officials also described Iran as a potential wildcard, saying Tehran had reportedly advised Hamas against accepting the agreement but was currently preoccupied with its own conflict with the United States, limiting its ability to support the group.

Hamas has long maintained that discussions on disarmament should only take place after the implementation of the ceasefire's first phase. The group's founding charter advocates armed resistance against Israel, and it has been reluctant to surrender its military arsenal, including rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives.

Earlier this month, however, Hamas announced it had dissolved its governing administration in Gaza and was preparing to transfer civilian authority to a United Nations-backed technical committee as part of the ceasefire process.

The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel's subsequent military offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, while large parts of the territory have been devastated. Israel's military currently controls more than half of Gaza, with many Palestinians displaced into overcrowded camps and heavily damaged urban areas.