(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday an agreement for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip as part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire signed last year.
“This agreement is 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,” Trump said in a social media post, referencing the newly formed multinational organization established by the U.S. president to oversee the 20-point peace plan in Gaza.
“At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks,” Trump added.
Few details about the agreement were initially released and there was no immediate official comment from Israel or Hamas on the president’s announcement.
In a statement following Trump’s announcement, the Board of Peace said Hamas has “agreed to a detailed Roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire,” calling it the result of a months of negotiations.
“The Roadmap represents a historic breakthrough,” the board said. “For the first time, Hamas officially has committed to an actionable plan for relinquishing all its weapons, which will be followed by Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.”
In his post, Trump said the agreement marks a “major milestone” in the 20-point plan and noted that it “will be carried out in carefully structured phases.”
“As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors,” Trump said. “Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.”
Trump also thanked mediators — including Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — for their work on the plan.
Trump’s 20-point plan, unveiled last fall, led to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as the exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners. The plan also calls for Hamas — Gaza’s militant rulers — to surrender its weapons and dismantle its military infrastructure — including a vast tunnel network — and relinquish power to a new technocratic Palestinian government in return for an Israeli troop withdrawal, desperately needed humanitarian aid for Gaza’s population and an international effort to rebuild the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
Earlier this month, Hamas announced it had dissolved its government in the strip to make way for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza as part of phase two of the plan.
The war between Israel and Hamas began after the Hamas-led terror attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed more than 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. The Israeli military subsequently launched a massive retaliatory campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including over 1,200 killed since the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health. The conflict also led to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the United Nations saying last week the overall situation remains “brutal.”
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