U.S. President Donald Trump has made a major announcement concerning Hamas in Gaza laying down its weapons. A Hamas official has confirmed the agreement in a conversation with the BBC. However, Israel has not yet issued an official response.
President Donald Trump said that the Board of Peace has reached an agreement under which Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza will completely disarm. A senior Hamas official confirmed the agreement to the BBC, stating that the organization has agreed to the Board of Peace’s plan for complete disarmament in Gaza and that an official statement will be released soon.
The senior Hamas official, who is also a member of the negotiation team, told the BBC that the talks were long and extremely difficult. Hamas insisted that its weapons should not be handed over directly to Israel. Instead, the weapons would be inventoried and securely stored under Palestinian supervision.
So far, Israel has not commented on the agreement. Meanwhile, the Board of Peace has described it as a historic achievement. The second phase of the Gaza Peace Plan, prepared through U.S. mediation, includes Hamas disarming and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Following the agreement, President Trump posted on Truth Social:
“This agreement will be implemented carefully. As the process moves forward, Israeli forces will withdraw, and an international stabilization force, together with a new Palestinian police force, will take responsibility for ensuring that Gaza is safe for its people and neighboring countries.”Trump also thanked Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey for their mediation efforts. The Board of Peace stated that the agreement is the result of months of intensive and sincere negotiations aimed at advancing President Trump’s vision for Gaza. According to the Board, this vision seeks to establish a new governing system, improve security, provide humanitarian relief, rebuild Gaza, and revive its economy.
The Board added that the agreement promises significant benefits for the people of Gaza. It described the roadmap as a historic breakthrough, saying that, for the first time, Hamas has officially agreed to an implementable plan to completely dismantle its weapons infrastructure. In return, Israel would withdraw its military forces from Gaza.
The Board concluded by saying that its immediate focus is now on implementing the agreement. According to AFP, citing Egyptian state media, mediators will meet in Cairo to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire plan.
Israel’s Position Remains Unclear
The key question remains Israel’s response. After Trump’s announcement, The Times of Israel, citing a source, reported that Hamas negotiators, the Board of Peace, and representatives of the mediating countries had signed the agreement. However, the newspaper also reported that an Israeli official said the disarmament proposal does not satisfy Israel’s security demands. Israeli media had previously reported that Israel opposed the agreement being discussed with Hamas.
U.S. Officials Warn Israel
U.S. officials also commented on Israel’s position. They said that President Trump would be “very disappointed” if Israel failed to honor the agreement.
When asked how concerned they were about Israel withdrawing from Gaza after Hamas disarms, one U.S. official replied: “We are simply asking Israel to follow the 20-point plan that it initially agreed to. We are confident that it will do so.”The official added that if Israel does not withdraw in accordance with the plan, Trump would be very disappointed. He also expressed confidence that Israel would continue to be a strong partner of the United States.
Nevertheless, uncertainty remains because Israeli military operations reportedly continued even after the ceasefire agreement.
Progress Has Been Limited
Although six months have passed since the second phase of the ceasefire began, little progress has reportedly been made.
According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, at least 1,168 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the ceasefire came into effect last October. During the same period, four Israeli soldiers were reportedly killed in attacks originating from Gaza.
Background
Last October, President Trump proposed a 20-point peace plan aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The plan included:
- A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
- The release of Israeli hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attack.
- The complete disarmament of Hamas.
- The full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The Board of Peace was established as part of this initiative.
What Challenges Is Saudi Arabia Facing Amid the US-Iran Conflict?
Ever since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on 28 February, Saudi Arabia has tried to stay largely out of the conflict.
However, after coming under attacks from three different directions, Saudi Arabia’s patience appears to have run out. This week, Saudi Arabia joined the United States in conducting joint strikes against Iranian proxy militias in Iraq. Saudi Arabia believes these militias were responsible for the drone attacks targeting the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia now faces a difficult choice: whether to continue retaliatory military action or attempt to reduce tensions.
Why Saudi Arabia Wants to Stay Out of the Conflict
There are several reasons why Saudi Arabia is trying to avoid becoming fully involved in the war.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been pursuing the country’s Vision 2030 strategy. The goal is to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy beyond oil by developing modern industries that can provide better jobs for young people. A major part of Vision 2030 is attracting foreign investment. However, if Saudi Arabia continues to face drone attacks from the Houthis in Yemen or direct ballistic missile attacks from Iran, those ambitions could be seriously undermined.
Lessons from the 2019 Drone Attack
In September 2019, Saudi Arabia suffered a major setback. During a period of heightened tensions with Iran, Iranian-backed militias in Iraq allegedly carried out drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s two most important oil facilities—Abqaiq and Khurais. Those attacks temporarily disrupted nearly half of Saudi Arabia’s oil exports for several days. For Saudi Arabia, this served as a warning that its critical infrastructure was highly vulnerable to such attacks.
Recent satellite imagery reportedly indicates that the Abqaiq oil facility has once again been targeted by drone strikes. These attacks are also believed to have been carried out by Iranian-backed militias based in Iraq.
Oil Remains the Backbone of Saudi Arabia’s Economy
Oil continues to be Saudi Arabia’s greatest economic strength.
In response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks in February, Iran retaliated by effectively disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically important waterway between Iran and the Gulf states. Nearly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through this route. To reduce the impact, Saudi Arabia transported as much oil as possible—around 5 million barrels per day—through its East-West Pipeline to its export terminal at Yanbu on the Red Sea. From there, oil was loaded onto tankers and shipped south through the Red Sea toward Asian markets. Initially, this alternative route worked.
New Threats from Yemen
However, on 13 July, Saudi Arabia reportedly carried out airstrikes in Yemen. In response, Houthi rebels launched attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Abha and Jizan airports. Saudi Arabia is also increasingly concerned because the Houthis have begun targeting Saudi vessels in the Red Sea. As a result, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, has become much more dangerous for shipping. This threatens Saudi Arabia’s oil exports to Asia.
Pressure from Both North and South
Saudi Arabia spent seven years trying to defeat the Houthi movement through sustained airstrikes but failed to achieve its objectives. In 2022, Saudi Arabia eventually agreed to a difficult ceasefire and understanding with the Houthis. Now, however, the region’s wealthiest country is once again under pressure.
- From the south, it faces drone and missile attacks from the Houthis in Yemen.
- From the north, it faces attacks allegedly carried out by Iranian-backed militias operating from Iraq.
- When Saudi Arabia designed its Vision 2030 development strategy, it had not anticipated facing simultaneous security threats from multiple directions.