Board of Peace aims to disarm Hamas over eight months
Hamas, which will gradually lay down its weapons over eight months as part of the disarmament plan presented to the militants by US President Donald Trump’s “Peace Board”, will have to allow the destruction of the extensive tunnel network in the Gaza Strip.
The plan follows a timeline that begins with a US-backed committee of Palestinian technocrats taking security control of the area and culminates in a full withdrawal of Israeli forces upon “confirmation that there are no weapons in Gaza.”
Disarmament of Hamas is a critical sticking point in talks aimed at implementing Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip and solidifying the ceasefire that halted two years of all-out war in October.
Hamas has long rejected calls to give up its weapons, which are believed to be largely transported and stored in tunnels under the Gaza Strip.
The Peace Board’s High Commissioner for Gaza told the UN Security Council that “the disarmament of militant actors would represent a definitive break with the cycles of violence that have defined life in Gaza for decades.” pic.twitter.com/jsbsYuGRkg— Board of Peace (@BoardOfPeace) March 25, 2026
Israel says it will not agree to withdraw from the region unless Hamas is completely disarmed.
A Palestinian official close to the talks said the plan was “unfair” and expected Hamas to seek some “changes and improvements”.
The official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations, said the plan does not provide guarantees that Israel will fulfill its obligations.
Linking reconstruction and improvements in living conditions with political issues such as disarmament would risk causing a resumption of war, the official said.
According to Al Jazeera’s first report, the full text of the plan was shared with Reuters by two Palestinian officials who participated in the talks.
A Hamas official confirmed the authenticity of the document.
The Peace Board presented the plan to Hamas last week.
Hamas has not commented publicly on this matter; A Hamas official said the group was working on the issue.
On Thursday, three other Palestinian groups, including Islamic Jihad, issued statements criticizing the plan, saying it unfairly prioritizes disarmament over issues such as reconstruction and Israeli withdrawal.
The plan consists of two components: a 12-point document titled “Steps to Complete the Implementation of Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza” and a five-stage timeline under which Hamas will surrender its weapons over eight months.
The first component says that all armed groups in the Gaza Strip, including groups such as Islamic Jihad, will participate in a disarmament process that will be overseen by Palestinian technocrats known as the National Committee of Gaza Administration.
The document says, “Gaza will be governed by the principle of one authority, one law, one weapon, so that only people authorized by (NCAG) will be able to own weapons and all armed groups will cease their military activities.”
The document states that the disarmament process will be “verified by the Arms Collection Verification Committee,” a body to be established by the Peace Board’s chief envoy, Nickolay Mladenov.
It is stated that reconstruction will only be allowed in areas designated as demilitarized.
The October ceasefire left Israel controlling more than half of the Gaza Strip; Hamas maintains a tight grip on the other half of the region and its two million people, many of whom are homeless after two years of relentless Israeli bombardment.
Committed to armed resistance and vowing the destruction of Israel, Hamas has publicly rejected calls for disarmament in recent months.
However, in private meetings, Hamas officials have expressed openness to disarmament as long as it is done on a political path that would result in the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The 12-point plan reportedly does not explicitly mention Palestinian statehood or independence.
