Hamas Agrees to Disarm if Israel Withdraws From Gaza, Obstacles Remain

Hamas said Friday it will begin disarming as part of a deal announced by President Donald Trump — but the group’s conditions and Israel’s public response have immediately exposed the deep obstacles standing between the announcement and any real implementation.

A Potential Breakthrough — With Significant Caveats

Trump declared Thursday that the US-led Board of Peace had reached a “historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” calling it a monumental step toward lasting peace and security. In statements Friday, Hamas confirmed it had agreed to a roadmap for relinquishing its weapons in stages, under a process that would be followed by an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza.

The Hamas disarmament Gaza deal Israel withdrawal obstacles gap became apparent almost immediately. A senior Hamas official told NPR that Israel must begin withdrawing from parts of Gaza before any disarmament process can begin. Israel’s position is the inverse: an Israeli official told reporters Thursday, on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol, that there would be “no Israeli withdrawal before the militant group is disarmed and the strip demilitarized.”

Israel Is Not a Signatory

A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that while Israel is involved in the process, it is not a signatory to the latest agreement — which is technically between Hamas and the countries acting as guarantors: Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, and the United States. Israel has not officially commented on Trump’s announcement, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not immediately respond.

Egypt is expected to host follow-up talks involving the US, Qatar, and Turkey to work on compliance mechanisms during this second phase of the ceasefire, which has been nominally in effect since last October.

Hamas Ties Full Disarmament to a Palestinian State

Hamas also attached a condition that will make full disarmament deeply controversial: the group said that surrendering its heavy weapons — the later stages of the process — is contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state. Israel’s current government has adamantly rejected Palestinian statehood, making that condition a potentially insurmountable barrier to completing the deal as described.

Ground Realities in Gaza Remain Dire

Israel currently controls approximately 60% of Gaza — areas that have been largely destroyed and depopulated. Most of the territory’s approximately two million Palestinians are concentrated in the remaining areas, where hundreds of thousands are living in tent camps and damaged neighborhoods amid severe shortages of food, medicine, and shelter.

The United Nations said last week that the overall situation in Gaza remains “brutal.” More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military campaign following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed more than 1,200 people and resulted in 251 being taken hostage.

Skepticism From Analysts

Middle East analysts expressed cautious skepticism about the announcement. Neil Quilliam of London’s Chatham House and other experts noted that the sequencing dispute between Hamas and Israel over who moves first — disarmament or withdrawal — has been the central sticking point throughout the conflict. Thursday’s announcement does not appear to have resolved it.

Trump said the agreement “will be carried out in carefully structured phases” and thanked Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for their mediation work. Whether the phased structure can bridge the mutual distrust between the parties remains the defining open question.