Trump pushes for disarmament of Hamas as second stage of Gaza ceasefire begins | Israel-Gaza war
Donald Trump gave Hamas a new ultimatum, adding to his calls for the group to disarm before the basic elements of the first phase are met, as the second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire with Israel begins.
In a late-night social media post on Thursday, Trump vowed to push for what he described as the “comprehensive” disarmament of Hamas and warned of serious consequences if the group refuses to comply. He also demanded the return of the remains of the last Israeli captive still believed to be held by the group, further escalating tensions at a sensitive moment in the ceasefire process.
“Hamas must IMMEDIATELY fulfill its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed with full demilitarization without delay,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “As I said before, they can do it the easy way, or they can do it the hard way.”
An agreement has not yet been reached on the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces, and the easing of restrictions on providing significantly more humanitarian aid to Gaza (measures that Israel has not yet fully implemented), which remain among the most controversial elements of the second phase of the ceasefire.
Hamas has so far refused to lay down its weapons.
Trump said Hamas would be disarmed and its extensive tunnel network dismantled with the support of Egypt, Türkiye and Qatar. However, it is unclear how such a goal can be realistically implemented.
According to the plan, Hamas would completely give up heavy weapons. As for smaller weapons, the US is considering introducing a “buyback” program under which guns, rifles, pistols and machine guns would be returned to their owners in exchange for money.
The focus of the second phase shifted from simply halting the conflict to establishing interim administration, demilitarization, and reconstruction in the region; This is a dramatic escalation of diplomatic ambition in the face of the Israeli army’s persistent violence.
At least 451 Palestinians have been reported killed since the ceasefire came into force in October last year.
Trump announced that he will chair the “peace board” that will govern Gaza, tasked with overseeing reconstruction, economic recovery and the broader transition process across Gaza. Former British prime minister Tony Blair is expected to join a separate board alongside Trump advisers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, with former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov expected to play a central role on the ground.
The board will oversee the 15-member Palestinian committee established to oversee the civilian administration of Gaza during the transition period.
Officially known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), it is intended to be apolitical and composed of technocrats and experts rather than political groups. Ali Shaath, former deputy minister of the Palestinian Authority, was appointed as the head of the group.
Israel’s war in Gaza has created a “man-made chasm” and rebuilding is likely to cost more than $70bn (£53bn) over the next few decades, the United Nations has said.
“The extent of destruction is very high,” said UN Undersecretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva, who visited Gaza on Thursday.
“Homes, schools, clinics, roads, water and electricity systems were destroyed or severely damaged,” he added. “There is more than 60 million tons of rubble in Gaza: the capacity of about 3,000 container ships. Today, on average, every person in Gaza is surrounded by 30 tons of rubble. He will most likely take over.” seven years To clear this rubble. I welcome the announcement of the second phase of the plan, this should finally mean the start of rebuilding. But in the meantime, early recovery needs to begin immediately, including restoring access to essential services.”
On Thursday, medical sources at the Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah said six Palestinians were killed and others injured in two Israeli airstrikes.
Life in the region remains unstable. Although the air strikes and gunfire slowed down, they did not stop. At the same time, recent storms have further exacerbated the crisis, causing deaths and flooding in camps that were already overstretched.
On Tuesday, strong winter winds caused walls to collapse on flimsy tents sheltering displaced Palestinians, killing at least four people.
The UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) said on Tuesday that 100 children had been killed since the beginning of the ceasefire in October, six of whom died of hypothermia.
