Trump says Hamas will disarm though questions linger about deal

Kate Sullivan and Dan Williams, Bloomberg News on Jul 30, 2026

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President Donald Trump said the U.S.-led Board of Peace had reached an agreement for Hamas to disarm, though questions remained about the extent of the accord and officials suggested it would not be implemented immediately.

U.S. and Board of Peace officials said details of the deal would have to be refined over the next couple of weeks, with progress expected in the coming month or two. They laid out a timeline of 200 to 350 days for implementation, but cautioned that it could still change, with much technical work still pending.

Trump touted the deal in a social media post on Thursday evening, calling it a “monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.” He said it would clear the way for Gaza to be placed under a new Palestinian government that would work closely with the Board of Peace.

“Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks,” the president said.

Senior Hamas officials confirmed they had struck a deal with Israel that includes provisions on addressing the group’s weapons, AFP reported. Israel has yet to comment on the agreement.

If such an agreement holds, it would mark a major breakthrough in the Middle East and could bring a permanent end to the war between Israel and Hamas set off by the militant group’s October 2023 assault on Israeli communities and military bases, which left some 1,200 Israelis dead.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire to halt the fighting in October 2025. Yet a resolution has proven elusive. Israel has insisted on the complete disarmament of the Gaza Strip, while Hamas has been wary of relinquishing all its weapons — a move that would leave it severely weakened.

Trump said Israel would withdraw from the territory after Hamas’ disarmament is completed. An International Stabilization Force would then work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza’s safety, he added.

However, the timetable for Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza still must be finalized, according to U.S. and Board of Peace officials. They said the International Stabilization Force would also support the process to decommission weapons, and that the first arms to be transferred would be those belonging to the police in Gaza.

They added that there would be a verifying process for each step of the plan.

Under Trump’s 20-point plan, the remaining Hamas hostages — both living and dead — were released from Gaza, clearing the way for a change of governance and reconstruction of the territory. Gaza was devastated by the Israel-Hamas war, with the bulk of urban areas reduced to rubble by Israeli bombardments and an estimated 70,000 Palestinians killed.

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