Lead

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that his "Board of Peace" had reached a "HISTORIC agreement" for the "COMPLETE DISARMAMENT" of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. In a social media post on Truth Social, Trump said the agreement would be carried out in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as disarmament is completed and an International Stabilisation Force working with a new Palestinian police force to secure the territory.

The announcement followed talks in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders. Trump framed the deal as "a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people," adding that "Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks."

Neither Israel nor Hamas immediately confirmed the agreement, and a Hamas official described the deal as a draft, while US officials said Israel was sceptical the group would surrender its weapons.

Coverage comparison

Reporting on the announcement was broadly consistent, with ABC Australia, Al Jazeera, Dawn, The Guardian, and TASS all carrying Trump's statement. Most outlets noted the absence of immediate public confirmation from either Israel or Hamas. Sources close to the talks told Reuters that progress had been made but it was uncertain whether the agreement would hold, as an Israeli official had said the proposed terms were not satisfactory.

A Hamas official told Reuters that the group was coming with a "positive and good" response, but did not say whether it had agreed to fully disarm. Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas negotiating team, told Al Jazeera that "we will not take any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel's withdrawal from the Strip." A US official told reporters that Israel was "very sceptical that Hamas will disarm," while expressing confidence the group would adhere to the deal.

Hamas, in a statement on Telegram, said its disarmament depends on Israel's fulfillment of all points of the agreement, including a complete withdrawal of troops from the Gaza Strip and the cessation of attacks. The group also linked the inclusion of heavy weapons in the agreement to a complete cessation of "all forms of aggression," the start of an administrative committee, the deployment of international forces, and guarantees of the rights to self-determination and the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Key claims

  • Trump announced that the Board of Peace reached an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, to be carried out in phases.
  • The agreement provides for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza once disarmament is complete, with an International Stabilisation Force and a new Palestinian police force taking responsibility for security.
  • A Hamas official described the deal as a draft, saying heavy weapons would be stored and kept under the control of a Palestinian administration and could not be transferred to Israel.
  • Ghazi Hamad of Hamas said the group would not take action on disarmament before Israel's withdrawal from the Strip.
  • An Israeli official said Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarisation of the strip, as a precondition for any process, and that the plan under discussion did not provide a satisfactory response to these demands.
  • Israeli attacks on Gaza continued despite the agreement. Within days of the announcement, Israeli strikes killed at least 19 Palestinians in a single day, according to Al Jazeera. Earlier, strikes killed at least two Palestinians and wounded at least 10 others hours after Hamas agreed to a draft peace deal, as reported by Al Jazeera. ABC Australia reported that Israeli strikes killed at least six Palestinians on the day of the announcement, including two children.
  • Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the developments under the Board of Peace, praising the mediating countries and Trump's "courageous leadership."

Perspectives

Hamas

Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad said the group would not implement the deal unless Israel fulfilled its obligations, including halting attacks and withdrawing troops. In a statement on Telegram, Hamas said its disarmament depends on Israel's fulfillment of all points of the agreement, including a complete withdrawal of troops and the cessation of attacks.

Israel

An Israeli official said Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarisation of the strip as a precondition for any process, and that the plan under discussion did not provide a satisfactory response. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas was fully disarmed.

United States

A US official told reporters that Israel was "very sceptical that Hamas will disarm," but said "we're very confident they will adhere to it," adding that if they do not, "President Trump would be very, very disappointed." The Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov condemned the escalation without naming Israel directly, saying "two days of strikes across Gaza have killed civilians and destroyed medical supplies that people depend on."

Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the developments, expressing hope that concrete steps would be taken towards implementing all commitments under the Gaza Peace Plan, leading to the realisation of the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people and the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.