Trump claims Gaza deal for Hamas disarmament, Israeli pullback faces hurdles

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 31, 2026 06:40 IST

US President Donald Trump has said an agreement has been reached for Hamas to disarm and for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza, though he also indicated that major hurdles, conditions and long timelines remain before the war in the Palestinian territory can be wound down. Neither Hamas nor Israel gave any immediate sign that they had agreed to the plan.

The White House announcement came nine months after a US-brokered ceasefire was signed. Talks between Israel and Hamas had largely stalled over how to implement the second phase of the ceasefire, including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.

In a social media post, Trump said, "The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases. As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbours." His 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the Iran-backed group to hand over its weapons and destroy its network of tunnels. It also envisages Israeli forces leaving Gaza, a new technocratic Palestinian government taking shape, an international security force being deployed and the rebuilding of the war-hit enclave after more than two years of conflict.

However, Hamas had insisted that the first phase be implemented before any discussion on its weapons. The group's founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel, and it has been unwilling to give up an arsenal that includes rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives. Earlier this month, Hamas said it had dissolved its government in Gaza and was preparing to hand over power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of the ceasefire arrangement.

US and Board of Peace officials, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity under White House guidelines, gave what was described as an extremely optimistic assessment of the agreement. They said the Gaza police force would hand over weapons to the technocratic Board of Peace-backed Gaza administration in the next two weeks. But they could not give specific timelines for the disarmament of Hamas or other groups in Gaza, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad. They also said the Gaza police force does not include most Hamas fighters, and heavy weapons are not part of that section of the agreement. A Board of Peace official said the surrender of heavy weapons and the dismantling of Hamas tunnels and other infrastructure would come later in a process that could take between 200 and 350 days.

A US official said Israel, which has been deeply sceptical about whether Hamas would give up its weapons or give up behind-the-scenes control of Gaza, had been consulted at every stage of the negotiations. The official said Israel was not being asked to do anything beyond what it had already agreed to under Trump's 20-point plan, which mainly involves withdrawing its forces from Gaza and ending air strikes on the territory. Israel's UN Mission said it had no immediate comment. The official also said Iran, which backs Hamas, remains a wildcard because while it had advised Hamas members not to accept the deal, it is also not in a position to provide much support as it is preoccupied with its conflict with the United States.

The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage. Gaza's Health Ministry said Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire. Israel's military now controls more than half of Gaza, with Palestinians confined to tent camps and heavily damaged urban neighbourhoods, as the proposed agreement still awaits clarity on how and when its key steps will be carried out.

With PTI Inputs

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