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Hamas says it has agreed to a US-backed plan for the complete disarmament of armed groups in Gaza, according to a senior official.
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Donald Trump said the deal would pave the way for Israel’s phased withdrawal and the establishment of a new Palestinian administration.
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Israel has not endorsed the proposal, with officials reportedly arguing that the terms fall short of its security demands.
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The reported breakthrough could mark a significant turning point in ceasefire negotiations, though key obstacles remain before implementation.
July 31, (THEWILL) — A senior Hamas official has said the group has agreed to a US-backed plan to completely disarm in Gaza, following an announcement by US President Donald Trump that negotiators had reached a breakthrough in efforts to advance the next phase of the ceasefire agreement.
The official told the BBC that Hamas had accepted the proposal put forward by the Board of Peace and that a formal statement would be issued shortly. Israel had not officially endorsed the agreement at the time of writing, with reports indicating it remains dissatisfied with some of the proposed terms.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the agreement as “a critical step” towards ending the conflict and said it would pave the way for Gaza to be administered by a new Palestinian government. He said the disarmament process would be implemented in phases, with Israeli forces withdrawing as weapons were surrendered.
“As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilisation Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbours,” Trump said.
The announcement forms part of the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire plan, which also includes the reconstruction of Gaza after nearly two years of war. Trump thanked Egypt, Qatar and Turkey for their roles in the negotiations.
Egyptian state media, cited by Agence France-Presse, reported that Cairo would host a meeting of mediators to discuss implementation of the second phase. Earlier, Reuters reported that talks between Hamas representatives and mediators in Cairo had made unusual progress, although an Israeli official was quoted as saying the proposed arrangement did not meet Israel’s requirements.
The Times of Israel, citing unnamed sources, reported that negotiators representing Hamas, the Board of Peace and mediating countries had signed an agreement. However, another Israeli official reportedly maintained that the disarmament proposal fell short of Jerusalem’s demands.
The reported breakthrough marks a significant shift in Hamas’ position. In April, the group rejected a similar disarmament proposal linked to Trump’s peace initiative, according to Palestinian officials familiar with the negotiations.
The development also follows a change in Hamas’ leadership. Earlier this month, the group appointed Khalil al-Hayya as its new leader after Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in October 2024. Al-Hayya has led Hamas’ delegations during indirect ceasefire negotiations with mediators in Egypt and Qatar.
The conflict began after Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which Israeli authorities say killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s subsequent military campaign has killed more than 73,000 people in Gaza, including over 21,000 children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Those casualty figures have not been independently verified.
Segun Adeyemi serves as the Associate Editor of THEWILL Newspaper, leveraging more than ten years of editorial expertise and a proven track record in mainstream journalism.
