By Sandra Kenneth
Hamas has agreed to a landmark plan announced by US President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza, committing to hand over its arsenal to a Palestinian governing committee in exchange for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The agreement marks a major breakthrough on one of the conflict’s main sticking points: the decommissioning of weapons held by the Palestinian militant group. Under the proposed arrangement, the newly established National Committee for Administration of Gaza (NCAG)—a body created by President Trump’s Board of Peace—will oversee the storage and management of handed-over arms.
Phase Transition to Civilian Rule
Confirming the development on social media platform X, the Board of Peace noted that Hamas had agreed to a “detailed roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire.” The board emphasized that the NCAG will soon initiate a phased transition toward assuming full authority over the territory.
According to President Trump, once disarmament is complete, Israeli troops will pull back, making way for an International Stabilization Force to partner with a local Palestinian police force to maintain security.
Negotiating team member Ghazi Hamad stated that Hamas was accepting the terms to protect civilians from further devastation. “We are making concessions for the sake of our people in the Gaza Strip, to save them from killing and displacement,” Hamad said, adding that disarmament will be handled exclusively by the NCAG without direct Israeli intervention.
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, cautioned that the coming weeks will be critical. “What happens next matters even more. Implementation and verification have to be real,” Mladenov stated, stressing that military withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning.
Israeli Hesitation and Verification Concerns
Despite the announcement, official reaction from Jerusalem remained guarded. Prior to the public disclosure, an Israeli political source expressed skepticism, telling reporters the plan failed to “satisfactorily” meet Israel’s core demand for total demilitarization.
“Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and full demilitarization of the Strip as a precondition for any process,” the source noted.
A diplomatic official close to the negotiations underscored that the agreed roadmap offers a pragmatic approach to dismantling military infrastructure—including underground tunnels, weapons depots, and production facilities—backed by a robust verification mechanism. “There will be no exceptions,” the diplomat said. “One authority, one law, one weapon.”
Next Steps in Cairo
Mediation efforts involving the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey are set to continue in Cairo, where representatives will convene shortly to finalize terms for the ceasefire’s second phase.
Meanwhile, fragile conditions remain on the ground. Despite the overarching ceasefire framework established in October, sporadic violence has persisted across Gaza, underscoring the urgency for mediators to finalize enforcement protocols and secure lasting stability.
