Trump Announces Gaza Deal on Hamas Disarmament and Israeli Withdrawal, but Major Hurdles Remain

Washington, July 2026 : US President Donald Trump has announced that an agreement has been reached under which Hamas would disarm and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza, presenting the development as a major step towards ending the devastating war in the Palestinian territory. However, significant questions remain over implementation, timelines and whether both sides will ultimately accept the proposed arrangements.

Neither Hamas nor the Israeli government immediately confirmed that they had agreed to the terms outlined by Trump and US officials.

The White House announcement came nine months after a US-brokered ceasefire was reached. Negotiations over the next phase of the truce had remained largely stalled, particularly over the most contentious issues, including Hamas’ weapons, Israeli military withdrawal, governance of Gaza and the reconstruction of the territory.

Trump said the agreement would be implemented through a series of carefully structured phases. Under the proposed framework, Israeli forces would withdraw as Hamas completes the disarmament process, while an International Stabilization Force would work alongside a newly established Palestinian police force to provide security in Gaza.

“The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” Trump said in a social media post, adding that the international force and Palestinian police would eventually assume responsibility for security in Gaza and the surrounding region.

The plan is based on Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire proposal, which calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons and dismantle its extensive tunnel network. It also envisages an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the establishment of a new technocratic Palestinian administration, deployment of an international security force and an extensive reconstruction programme for the war-ravaged territory.

However, disarmament remains the most difficult element of the proposal. Hamas has repeatedly insisted that the first phase of the ceasefire must be implemented before negotiations on its weapons can move forward. The group, whose founding charter is rooted in armed resistance against Israel, has shown little willingness to surrender its military capabilities, including rockets, anti-tank weapons and explosives.

Hamas announced earlier this month that it had dissolved its government in Gaza and was preparing to transfer administrative authority to a technical committee backed by the United Nations, as envisaged under the ceasefire framework.

US and Board of Peace officials offered an optimistic assessment of the agreement during a briefing with reporters. The Board of Peace, an international body established by Trump to oversee implementation of the Gaza ceasefire, is expected to play a central role in the proposed transition.

Despite the optimism, officials were unable to provide a precise timetable for the complete disarmament of Hamas or other armed groups operating in Gaza, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Under the initial stage of the arrangement, Gaza’s police force is expected to hand over its weapons to the technocratic Gaza administration backed by the Board of Peace within two weeks. However, officials acknowledged that the police force does not represent the vast majority of Hamas militants, meaning the step would not amount to the complete disarmament of the organisation.

Heavy weapons and Hamas’ broader military infrastructure would be addressed at a later stage. A Board of Peace official said the surrender of heavy weaponry and dismantling of Hamas tunnels and other military infrastructure could take between 200 and 350 days, highlighting the lengthy and complicated nature of the proposed process.

A senior US official said Israel had been consulted throughout the negotiations and remained involved in discussions over the proposed framework. However, the official said Israel was not being asked to undertake commitments beyond those it had already accepted under Trump’s 20-point plan.

Those commitments primarily involve withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza and ending airstrikes against the territory as the ceasefire framework is implemented.

Israel’s UN Mission did not immediately provide a response to the announcement.

Iran also remains an important variable. The US official said Tehran had advised Hamas members against accepting the agreement, but Iran’s ability to support the group remains limited because of its own confrontation with the United States.

The proposed deal comes amid a war that began following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The assault killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.

Israel responded with a massive military campaign in Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed, including deaths reported since the ceasefire.

Israeli forces currently control more than half of the Gaza Strip, while hundreds of thousands of Palestinians remain displaced in severely damaged urban areas and overcrowded tent camps.

Although Trump’s announcement represents a potentially significant diplomatic development, the unresolved questions surrounding Hamas’ disarmament, the pace of Israeli withdrawal, the authority of the proposed Palestinian administration and the role of international forces mean that the path towards a lasting settlement remains uncertain.

The coming weeks are expected to determine whether the proposed framework can move from an announcement to a functioning ceasefire and, eventually, a broader political and security arrangement for Gaza.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)