Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed to a document outlining a phased disarmament process in Gaza, marking a major development in negotiations over the territory’s future governance and the implementation of a broader ceasefire arrangement. Al Jazeera obtained a copy of the agreement, which says a detailed roadmap for disarmament must be prepared within 14 days, with extensions possible if approved by the international verification body and all parties involved.
Hamas Gaza Disarmament Plan Tied to Israeli Withdrawal
The agreement does not treat the weapons issue as a standalone measure. Hamas negotiating delegation member Ghazi Hamad said the group would not implement the arrangement if Israel failed to meet its own obligations.
Hamad said the implementation of disarmament would depend on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and progress on reconstruction in the Palestinian territory. Israel had not issued a comment on the agreement at the time of the report.
“These negotiations were difficult and hard, and we tried to reach the best possible formula that was achievable,” Ghazi Hamad said.
The document links the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces to the disarmament process, making the two developments closely connected under the proposed arrangement.
How the Gaza Disarmament Process Would Work
According to the agreement obtained by Al Jazeera, the process would begin with the entry into Gaza of a National Committee and the International Stabilisation Force.
The National Committee would oversee the “inventory and storage” of weapons, while an international verification committee would monitor the process. Palestinian factions would also participate in the arrangement.
A key provision states that weapons would not be handed over to Israel or to any other non-Palestinian body. Instead, the National Committee would become the sole force responsible for holding weapons inside Gaza under the proposed framework.
A Board of Peace official separately confirmed that Hamas and other armed factions would transfer their weapons to the National Committee, which is expected to administer Gaza. Weapons held by police would be transferred first, followed by the decommissioning of heavy weapons.
The official said all military activity in Gaza would have to stop under the plan, while also stressing that putting the entire process into effect would take time.
Trump Calls Agreement a ‘Monumental Step’
United States President Donald Trump presented the agreement as a significant development in efforts to establish a new governing arrangement for Gaza.
Trump said the agreement represented a critical step towards Gaza being governed by a new Palestinian government that would work with the Board of Peace. He also linked the proposed arrangement to Israel’s security and the removal of Gaza as a base for attacks.
Trump said disarmament would take place in phases. Under his description of the plan, Israel would withdraw from Gaza after the disarmament process was completed, with an International Stabilization Force and a new Palestinian police force taking over security responsibilities.
Board of Peace Says Implementation Will Be Crucial
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, said the agreement followed months of difficult negotiations.
“It took months of very difficult negotiations” for the agreement to be reached, Mladenov said.
Mladenov also warned that the next stage would be more important than simply reaching the initial agreement. He stressed that implementation and verification would need to be genuine and that Israeli withdrawal should proceed alongside the decommissioning process.
“Implementation and verification have to be real,” Mladenov said. “Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning.”
Gaza Ceasefire and Israeli Withdrawal Remain Key Issues
The proposed disarmament arrangement is being presented as part of the ceasefire framework that Trump said he brokered in October to end the war in Gaza.
According to the supplied report, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, while the ceasefire has itself faced continued violations. The report says more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect, while Israel has also seized additional territory and continued restrictions on the movement of people and goods into and out of Gaza.
Six Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza on Thursday, including two children, according to the report.
Hamas Talks in Cairo With Regional Mediators
Hamas leaders have been in Cairo since late last week discussing the ceasefire arrangement with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye.
An unnamed Hamas official said earlier on Thursday that the talks were positive and making progress. Egypt is also expected to host further discussions in Cairo involving mediators from Egypt, the United States, Qatar and Turkiye as efforts continue to secure commitments to the second phase of the ceasefire roadmap.
Egypt’s A-Qahera News, citing an informed Egyptian source, reported that Hamas and other Palestinian factions had officially approved the proposal. The framework includes the deployment of international forces and the beginning of work by the National Committee.
Islamic Jihad Raises Reservations Over Agreement
Not all Palestinian factions have endorsed the arrangement in the same terms. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another armed group operating in Gaza, said reports describing an agreement between the factions and Israel were inaccurate.
The group said it had reservations about the wording of the document being circulated, adding another complication to the implementation of the proposed framework.
The distinction in the language used in the agreement has also attracted attention. Military analyst Nidal Abu Zaid told Al Jazeera that the document’s reference to “inventory and storage” differs in meaning from direct disarmament.
“Inventory and storage is carried out by a third party, but that party does not need to be an enemy force,” Nidal Abu Zaid said.
He argued that direct disarmament would involve an opposing force taking control of weapons, something Palestinian factions would not accept.
Hamas Had Earlier Dissolved Gaza Governing Body
The latest agreement follows a significant political development announced by Hamas on July 6, when the group said it was dissolving the body it had led that governed Gaza for nearly two decades.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said the proposed arrangement would involve Hamas and other groups disarming sector by sector, followed by the recruitment of additional Palestinian police officers.
According to Fisher, the Palestinian police would work alongside an international coordination force, although the final composition of that force had not yet been established. Indonesia and Turkiye had been mentioned as possible participants, though Fisher noted that such involvement could face Israeli opposition.
International Pressure on Hamas
Fisher also reported that there were obstacles to securing agreement from all sides. He said international pressure had been placed on Hamas to accept the proposal and that the group could face greater financial difficulties if it rejected the arrangement.
A US official, meanwhile, defended the inclusion of Turkiye and Qatar in the Board of Peace, saying criticism of their participation had existed earlier but arguing that the agreement demonstrated the value of including them.
The official described the proposed governance model as an alternative to both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, centred on a technocratic and apolitical administration intended to govern for the benefit of Gaza’s population.
What Happens Next in Gaza
The immediate challenge is now implementation. The agreement gives the parties 14 days to prepare a detailed disarmament roadmap, although that deadline can potentially be extended with the required approvals.
The proposed sequence includes the arrival of the National Committee and International Stabilisation Force, weapons inventory and storage, the transfer of weapons held by police, the decommissioning of heavy weapons and the eventual cessation of military activity.
At the same time, Israeli withdrawal is expected to proceed gradually alongside the disarmament process. The precise mechanisms for verification, the final composition of the international force and the practical implementation of the National Committee will therefore remain important issues in the next phase of negotiations.
For now, the agreement represents a framework rather than the completion of the disarmament process. Its significance will depend on whether the parties can translate the document into a verified implementation plan while addressing the competing conditions surrounding weapons, Israeli withdrawal, Gaza’s governance and reconstruction.
Source: Al Jazeera
