Hamas accepted Trump’s plan to disarm “completely” in Gaza: Israel says the deal does not meet its demands

In the early hours of the morning, while everyone in Gaza was asleep, US President Donald Trump announced that the Islamist group Hamas would disarm and demilitarize the Gaza Strip, and that Israeli forces would withdraw. He reported that an agreement had been reached late Thursday and that, according to its terms—confirmed by Hamas—a Palestinian technocratic government, overseen by a US-led Peace Council, would eventually govern Gaza.

Hamas has accepted a plan that involves surrendering its weapons in exchange for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. This is not a confiscation of weapons, as in the case of the IRA and Protestant militias in the Northern Ireland peace agreement, but rather a surrender of its weapons, tunnel plans, and arsenals on par with the Israeli withdrawal.

Trump’s Announcement

The US president announced Thursday night that an agreement had been reached for the “complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.”

A senior commander of the terrorist group confirmed Friday morning that “the deal had been finalized,” although he avoided using the term “disarmament.”

Members of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. Photo: Reuters

Trump stated that the “complete disarmament” of Hamas in Gaza had been agreed upon, but Israel has not yet accepted it. On Friday morning, Israel bombed the Gaza Strip despite Trump’s warning to Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections he may lose in October, to respect his plan.

US President Donald Trump would be “very disappointed if Israel did not allow progress on his 20-point plan for the reconstruction of Gaza,” a senior US official stated Thursday.

The disarmament mechanism

According to the agreement, Hamas police would first hand over their weapons to the transitional body. Subsequently, the militant group’s heavy weapons would be surrendered in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory.

Any remaining personal weapons in Gaza will be handed over last, along with weapons held by militias backed by the Israel Defense Forces and other armed groups.

Gaza in ruins. Photo: AP

“This is a significant milestone in the implementation of Trump’s 20-point plan. The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” the US president declared. “As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to ensure the security of Gaza, both for its residents and its neighbors.”

Hamas stated that it would not take “a single step” toward surrendering its weapons until the Israeli military had left Gaza. A negotiator also insisted that the plan only involved “inventorying and storing the weapons,” under Palestinian supervision, rather than handing them over to Israel.

Trump celebrated the agreement, but officials from Hamas, Egypt, and Israel were more cautious. Egypt, which helped broker the agreement, described it as a “roadmap.”

The Weapons, According to Hamas

A Hamas commander confirmed the pact, stating, “An agreement has been reached on the issue of weapons. A phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip has also been agreed upon.” He asserted that he would not take “a single step” toward surrendering his weapons until the Israeli military had left Gaza.

The Hamas commander also insisted that the plan only involved “inventorying and storing the weapons” under Palestinian supervision, rather than handing them over to Israel. He pledged to provide an inventory of weapons, information on military production facilities, and blueprints of his underground tunnel network as part of the agreement. According to officials, Israel must allow humanitarian access to Gaza and halt all military activity under the plan.

A verification committee would determine when each condition has been met and when the parties can move to the next phase, officials said, citing the lack of trust between Hamas and Israel. The agreement was negotiated by Hamas, the Peace Council, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, according to a source involved in the negotiations.

An official ceasefire has been in effect in Gaza since October 2025, following more than two years of fighting triggered by Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. The Hamas massacre in Israel killed 1,200 people, and the war in Gaza has killed at least 70,000 civilians. But Israel continues to bomb and has occupied a larger portion of Gaza, including Rafah, which provides access to Egypt.