US President Donald Trump announced yesterday (30 July) that his Board of Peace had reached what he described as a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.
The deal, which Trump called "a monumental step toward lasting peace and security", follows months of delicate negotiations with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey.
Under the agreement, Hamas would hand over its weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a transitional Palestinian body established in January.
Israeli forces would then withdraw from the territory in carefully structured phases, with an International Stabilisation Force working alongside new Palestinian police to ensure security for residents and neighbours.
The arrangement represents a critical step towards Gaza being governed by a new Palestinian government that would work closely with the Board of Peace.
As of yesterday evening, Hamas had not officially confirmed the deal, though senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera that difficult negotiations had produced an agreement.
However, Hamad stated that Hamas would not take any steps regarding disarmament before Israel withdrew from Gaza, raising immediate questions about implementation.
Israeli officials remain deeply sceptical that Hamas will surrender its weapons, while the sequencing of disarmament and withdrawal could still be contested.
The agreement would require Hamas and Israel to complete a complicated series of reciprocal and independently verified steps over roughly seven to eight months.
Al Jazeera obtained a copy of the agreement, which stipulates that a precise disarmament roadmap must be prepared within 14 days.
If implemented, the deal would represent a dramatic breakthrough in Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan and clear the way for reconstruction of the devastated enclave.

