Donald Trump Announces Hamas Disarmament Deal Amid Israeli Strikes

President Donald Trump announced a deal to disarm Hamas as a major milestone in a 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war. Facilitated by the Board of Peace, the agreement proposes a phased implementation where the Israel Defense Forces withdraw as Hamas surrenders weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, eventually transitioning to a technocratic government. Hamas and other Palestinian factions formally accepted the roadmap in Egypt, though Hamas requested amendments to disarmament clauses.

Despite the announcement, the Israeli government has resisted the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office asserted that the public version does not reflect Israel's positions, insisting on verifiable, irreversible demilitarization and the removal of weapons from the enclave to a Western state. Israeli officials, including Energy Minister Eli Cohen and Defense Minister Israel Katz, maintained that troops will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed and its tunnels are destroyed.

Concurrent with the diplomatic push, Israel intensified military operations. Airstrikes on August 1 and 2 killed at least 26 Palestinians, including high-ranking Hamas officials and civilians in Gaza City and Deir al-Balah. The Israel Defense Forces reported dismantling weapons storage, while Palestinian officials noted the destruction of medical warehouses at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Israeli forces have expanded territorial control to between 60% and 70% of the enclave, leading to further civilian displacement and criticisms that the U.S. peace claims are out of touch with the worsening reality on the ground.