Gaza, Palestinian Territories. A disarmament plan presented to Hamas by US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” would require the militants to allow the destruction of Gaza’s tunnel network and surrender arms in stages, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The eight-month plan links a phased handover of security to Palestinian technocrats with a full Israeli withdrawal contingent on verification that Gaza is free of weaponry.
Plan timeline and governance
The plan sets out an eight-month timeline beginning with a US-backed committee of Palestinian technocrats taking security control of Gaza and ending with Israeli forces withdrawing completely upon “verification that Gaza is free of weaponry.”
Hamas’ disarmament is described as a critical sticking point in talks to implement Trump’s plan for Gaza and cement an October ceasefire that halted two years of full-blown war. Hamas has long rejected calls to lay down its weapons, which are believed to have largely been transported and stored in tunnels under Gaza.
Documents and presentation to Hamas
The plan’s full text, first reported by Al Jazeera, was shared with Reuters by two Palestinian officials involved in the talks, and a Hamas official confirmed its authenticity. The Board of Peace presented the plan to Hamas last week, and Hamas has not commented publicly on it.
The plan includes two components: a 12-point document titled “Steps to Complete the Implementation of Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza,” and a five-stage timeline during which Hamas would surrender its arms over eight months.
Scope of disarmament and verification
The document says all armed factions in Gaza, including groups such as Islamic Jihad, will participate in a disarmament process overseen by the Palestinian technocrats, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
“Gaza will be governed under the principle of one authority, one law, one weapon, whereby only individuals authorized by (NCAG) may possess weapons, and all armed factions will cease military activities,” the document says.
It adds that the disarmament process will be “verified by the Weapons Collection Verification Committee,” a body to be set up by Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s lead envoy.
Reconstruction conditions and current situation
The plan states that reconstruction will only be allowed in areas designated as demilitarized.
The October ceasefire left Israel in control of well over half of Gaza, with Hamas maintaining control of the other half of the enclave and its two million people, most of whom are homeless after two years of Israeli bombardment.
What impact do you think the proposed disarmament and verification process could have on the ceasefire talks?