White House unveils Gaza demilitarization roadmap — major conditions remain

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The White House on Thursday announced a new framework aimed at demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, but its success depends on Hamas and Israel fulfilling a series of significant commitments.

Under the framework, Hamas would disarm and relinquish its governance in Gaza, while Israel would be required to withdraw its military forces from the territory.

As U.S. and Board of Peace officials told reporters Thursday that the process of Hamas disarmament would begin in the next month or so, Al Jazeera reported that a member of the Hamas delegation said the group would not disarm until Israel completed its withdrawal. That appeared to contradict President Donald Trump, who posted on Truth Social that “as disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw.”

And while U.S. officials Thursday said that Hamas, through mediators, agreed to the framework text, it’s not uncommon for Hamas to say differently after the fact. There was also no immediate confirmation from Israel and Israeli officials have previously stated they would not withdraw until Hamas disarms.

The roadmap is the product of eight months of negotiations led by Trump officials, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, which began after the Trump administration negotiated a release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and a tentative ceasefire, part of a broader 20-point plan. Talks quickly stalled and violence resumed.

This latest effort from the U.S. is meant to turn the 20-point peace proposal into what officials described as an implementable framework. And while officials characterized Thursday’s announcement as a major sign of progress, they also cautioned that challenging work lies ahead.

“We’re not relying on the trust of anyone,” one official said. “We’re trying to make everything conditions-based and verified. We’re just going to move forward. Some days we’ll pick up a lot of ground. Some days we’ll pick up a little ground. But this was a big step forward, which we worked really hard to get to.”

The official added: “We’re going to try and do something very, very impossible.”

Like the original 20-point proposal, the implementation phase is expected to be complicated by deep mistrust between the two sides. Officials estimated implementation could take between an estimated 200 and 350 days, though they said they intend to move as quickly as possible to implement the road map. They will also establish a verification committee to oversee aspects of the plan.

One of the officials said Hamas would turn over its weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which was established in January under a United Nations Security Council Resolution and the president’s plan to end the conflict. The plan would also include a surge in humanitarian aid, and the deployment of an international force to maintain security, an effort being led by the U.S. An official said they already have commitments for more than 5,000 troops from different countries.

“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social announcing the agreement. “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”