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31 Jul 2026, 02:48

Axios:
Machine Translation: Trump praised the "historic" agreement for disarming Hamas and rebuilding Gaza

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, announced on Thursday that his "peace team" has reached an agreement with Hamas under which the group will be disarmed and control of civilian and security affairs in Gaza will be handed over to a new Palestinian government made up of technocrats.

Why it matters: If implemented, this agreement would represent a significant shift in Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza and pave the way for the reconstruction of the devastated region.
▪️ However, this agreement requires Hamas and Israel to carry out a complex set of reciprocal and independent actions over the course of about seven to eight months, which will be verified.
▪️ Israeli officials remain highly skeptical that Hamas will surrender its weapons; meanwhile, statements from a senior Hamas official indicate that the order of disarmament and Israeli withdrawal may still be a point of contention.
What they are saying: Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday evening: "Today, the peace team reached a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza."
▪️ He added: "This is a tremendous step toward lasting peace and security."
Current status: Two American officials said that after several months of negotiations mediated by Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, which a senior U.S. official described as "very sensitive," Hamas has agreed to the terms of the agreement.
▪️ This senior U.S. official said the implementation of the agreement is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
▪️ One of the peace team officials said this is the first time Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza have agreed to demilitarize the region and transfer responsibility for security and civilian services to a technocratic government.
Under this agreement, Hamas will relinquish any role in governing Gaza. The "National Committee for the Administration of Gaza," known as NCAG, will operate as a replacement for Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
▪️ The senior U.S. official said: "This structure will be in the best interest of the people of Gaza."
Reality check: Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official, confirmed in an interview with Al Jazeera that the "difficult" negotiations have led to an agreement, but his explanations immediately raised questions about how it would be implemented.
▪️ Hamad said: "We will not take any disarmament actions before Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip." He added that the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza will carry out disarmament without Israeli interference.
▪️ This position apparently contrasts with Trump's description of a phased process and "with a precise structure," in which Israeli forces withdraw simultaneously with the completion of disarmament.
▪️ U.S. officials and the peace team said the implementation of the agreement will proceed through reciprocal and independent actions that will be verified, although they acknowledged that the timeline for Israel's withdrawal is still being finalized.
The big picture: Vast areas of Gaza have been devastated during the war, and most of its two million residents continue to live in tents or temporary shelters.
▪️ Food and other aid are entering Gaza in large quantities, but the humanitarian situation remains dire.
▪️ The Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, reports that nearly 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire on October 10, 2025. Some of them were Hamas forces, but many others were civilians, including children.
A closer look: This agreement is based on the principle that Gaza must have a legitimate government, a legal system, and a security authority. The demilitarization process is expected to take between 200 to 250 days and will be implemented in one of Gaza's sections at a time.
▪️ Hamas's civilian police will first hand over their weapons to a new Palestinian police force under the technocratic government.
▪️ After that, Hamas's heavy weapons will be decommissioned and stored in secure facilities, and the group's tunnels and weapon manufacturing facilities will be dismantled.
▪️ Light weapons will be collected according to Palestinian laws.
▪️ All other militia groups in Gaza, including those opposed to Hamas that Israel armed during the war, will also be required to surrender their weapons.
The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza will only take control of any area once a monitoring mechanism confirms that the commitments related to that area have been fulfilled.
▪️ A peace team official said that at the end of this process, the technocratic government and its police force will hold a monopoly on weapons in Gaza.
Implementation: According to the agreement, an international stabilizing force will assist in training the new Palestinian police, participate in the collection of weapons, and be stationed between areas controlled by Palestinians and Israeli forces.
▪️ One of the peace team officials said this agreement is designed on the basis of "zero trust," as both Hamas and Israel have explicitly stated from the outset that they do not trust each other.
▪️ The process will not move from one phase to the next until monitors confirm that both sides have fulfilled their commitments.
▪️ This official said the goal is to prevent a situation where the technocratic government controls Gaza during the day, but armed groups still hold power at night.
On the other side: Israel's withdrawal will occur gradually and based on a timeline that is still being finalized.
▪️ Trump said that as disarmament is completed and security responsibility is taken over by the international force and the new Palestinian police, Israeli forces will withdraw.
▪️ Israel will also cease military operations and targeted assassinations in Gaza, except in cases of imminent threat.
▪️ A peace team official said: "All military activities in Gaza must cease; whether by Israel or Hamas."
Behind closed doors: A senior U.S. official said the Trump administration has maintained close coordination with Israel throughout the negotiations.
▪️ The U.S. government also intends to ensure that Israel fulfills its commitments under the agreement, despite Israeli skepticism about disarming Hamas.
▪️ This official said: "We want nothing from Israel but to fulfill its commitments under the 20-point plan."
▪️ He added: "If they do not do this, President Trump will be very disappointed. I don't think the Israelis want to escalate tensions with us at this time."
Behind the scenes: According to two sources familiar with the negotiations, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey exerted significant pressure on Hamas to accept this agreement.
▪️ U.S. officials and other knowledgeable individuals said Hassan Rashad, head of Egypt's intelligence agency, played a key role. He hosted the negotiations and has a close relationship with Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas's political leader.
Notably: According to a source familiar with the meeting, a Hamas delegation met with senior officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps during its recent visit to Iran to attend the funeral of Ali Khamenei, the former leader of the Islamic Republic.

▪️ This source said the IRGC officials urged Hamas not to rush into signing the agreement and to buy time through stalling.

▪️ A senior U.S. official also claimed that Iran has attempted to convince Hamas not to sign the agreement, but said the group decided to ignore Iran's advice.
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