Trump says Hamas disarmament deal clears path for Israel's Gaza pullback

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 31, 2026 12:58 IST

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that an agreement had been reached for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza, marking a major step in efforts to move forward with the ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. However, officials indicated that several conditions, hurdles and long timelines still remain before the war can be wound down.

The White House announcement came nine months after a US-brokered ceasefire was signed. Talks between Israel and Hamas had largely stalled over the second phase of the deal, especially on Hamas disarming and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Trump said on social media, "The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases. As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the Stabilisation Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbours."

His 20-point ceasefire plan calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons and destroy its tunnel network. It also sets out the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, the deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the enclave.

Trump announced the development as negotiations remained stalled and military attacks had escalated in the war that the US and Israel launched against Iran in February. Iran is a key backer of Hamas. On Friday, a Hamas official said the group had reached an agreement on disarmament, which is the central part of the ceasefire deal. Israel gave no indication that it had agreed.

US and Board of Peace officials, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under White House guidelines, gave an optimistic account of the agreement. They were unable to provide a specific timeline for Hamas or other armed groups in Gaza, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to disarm. They said the Gaza police force would hand over weapons to the technocratic Gaza administration backed by the Board of Peace within the next two weeks.

However, officials said the Gaza police force does not include most Hamas militants, and heavy weaponry is not covered under that part of the agreement. The surrender of heavy weapons and the dismantling of Hamas tunnels and other infrastructure would come later, in a process that could take between 200 and 350 days, according to a Board of Peace official.

A US official said Israel had been consulted at every stage of the negotiations, even as it remained deeply sceptical about whether Hamas would give up its weapons or step back from behind-the-scenes control of Gaza. The official said Israel was not being asked to do anything beyond what it had already accepted under Trump's plan, including withdrawing its forces from Gaza and ending airstrikes on the territory.

The official said Trump would be "very, very disappointed" if Israel did not follow the agreement. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House on Tuesday, but neither spoke much about what was discussed in their first face-to-face meeting since the war against Iran began. Israel's UN Mission said it had no immediate comment.

The same official said Iran remained a wildcard because, although it had advised Hamas not to accept a deal, it was also in no position to offer much support as it was preoccupied with its conflict with the United States. Hamas had earlier insisted that the first phase of the ceasefire be implemented before any discussion on its weapons. The group, whose founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel, has long been reluctant to give up rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives that are central to its identity.

Earlier this month, Hamas said it had dissolved its government in Gaza and was preparing to hand over power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of the ceasefire deal. The war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Israel's military now controls more than half of Gaza, with Palestinians confined to tent camps and heavily damaged urban neighbourhoods. Trump's announcement has set out a possible path for the next phase of the ceasefire, but key questions over disarmament, Israeli withdrawal and implementation remain unresolved.

With PTI Inputs

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