A hard-right Israeli politician has sharply criticized a newly agreed-upon deal between Hamas and a U.S.-brokered body aimed at disarming the militant group in exchange for Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir described the agreement as "tantamount to agreeing to Hamas organising for the next massacre," a stark contrast to the optimistic assessment by former President Donald Trump, who declared it a "major milestone" and a "monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY."
Trump, who has been involved in brokering the plan through his "Board of Peace," stated that the deal would lead to Hamas's "complete disarmament" and facilitate Gaza being governed by a new Palestinian government working with the "Board of Peace." He added that Israel would gain the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer serving as a base for terror attacks. Israel has not officially commented on the announcement, but a political source indicated that "there will be no withdrawal whatsoever" from Israel unless Hamas undergoes genuine disarmament.
This disarmament issue has been a significant obstacle in advancing the Gaza ceasefire plan, which has been in place since October. Hamas stated on Friday that it would not disarm prior to the withdrawal of Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza. The group's negotiator, Ghazi Hamad, said Hamas was making concessions for the sake of the people in Gaza, asserting that Israel would not be involved in disarmament, with the National Committee for Administration of Gaza (NCAG) handling the task.
According to the agreement, the NCAG will be responsible for internal security and will manage a phased transition toward full authority. The roadmap also outlines a process for decommissioning and storing Hamas's heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots, and tunnels. The Board of Peace confirmed on X that Hamas had agreed to a detailed roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire, with its high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, emphasizing that "Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning."
Despite the reported ceasefire agreement, violence has persisted in Gaza. Israeli strikes on Thursday resulted in the deaths of at least four people, including two children, according to health officials. The new agreement calls for an immediate halt to military operations by all sides and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force to separate Israeli troops from NCAG-controlled areas.
Leaders from international bodies offered cautious optimism. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed the deal but noted that "a lot needs to fall in place for this to work." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres referred to the agreement as a rare positive development amidst ongoing conflict. Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera News reported that Cairo will host a meeting of the truce's mediators, including the U.S., Qatar, and Turkey. A diplomatic source described the roadmap as offering a "balanced and pragmatic path forward, with all weapons decommissioned and a phased transition of responsibilities," with no exceptions for specific weapons or individuals.