Trump Announces Hamas Disarmament Deal as Israel Stays Silent and Skeptical

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his Board of Peace had reached an agreement on what he called the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, a potential turning point in the war, though Israel has pointedly withheld its endorsement and murmurings of dissent are growing.

The Board of Peace, the international body Trump established to oversee Gaza’s future, later said Hamas had agreed to a detailed road map covering disarmament and a phased Israeli withdrawal from the Strip. A senior Trump adviser told reporters that the disarmament process would begin within roughly a month, while the broader plan requires Hamas and Israel to complete a series of reciprocal and independently verified steps over approximately seven to eight months.

Hamas has confirmed an agreement but attached firm conditions. A Hamas official described the negotiations as difficult and said the group would not take any steps toward disarmament before an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. That sequencing, disarmament only after withdrawal, sits at the heart of what could become a contentious standoff over implementation.

Israel’s response has been conspicuous silence. As of Friday, the government had not publicly acknowledged the plan, and reports from Israeli officials suggested discontent within the leadership. Trump claimed Israel was very happy about the deal, but signals from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s circle indicated otherwise. Netanyahu has long insisted on the complete dismantling of Hamas as a precondition for ending the war, and any framework that allows a gradual, conditional process is likely to face resistance from him and from his hardline coalition partners.

The announcement lands amid continued fighting. Israeli strikes persisted across Gaza this week, and the humanitarian toll has continued to mount. The plan also intersects with parallel efforts in Lebanon, where a similar push to disarm Hezbollah has stalled, and with the broader war against Iran.

For Israelis, exhausted by nearly three years of conflict and an ongoing state of emergency, the prospect of a negotiated end to the fighting in Gaza carries enormous weight. But with Israel yet to sign on, Hamas insisting on withdrawal first, and an election campaign underway, the road from announcement to reality remains uncertain and fraught.