Trump Calls the Deal a “Great Step” for the Region.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Israel is “very happy” with the agreement reached on disarming Hamas alongside a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, describing it as a major step forward for the Middle East. Speaking during a cabinet meeting at the Camp David resort in Maryland, Trump said Washington had reached an understanding with Israel on the deal, adding that Israel had been highly cooperative throughout the process. He went further, calling the agreement a “tremendous deal,” noting that few had believed such an arrangement with Hamas was achievable, and praised the Board of Peace’s role in reaching it.
A Roadmap for Gaza’s Next Phase.
Earlier, Trump had announced via his Truth Social platform what he called a major breakthrough toward ending the Gaza war, confirming that the Board of Peace, established under his broader initiative, had reached a deal for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed factions. The Board of Peace subsequently published a roadmap for implementing the plan, outlining the principles and mechanisms for the coming phase — including a halt to military operations, the transfer of Gaza’s administration to a Palestinian civil committee, a restructuring of the security system, a gradual Israeli withdrawal, and the launch of reconstruction efforts. Board of Peace CEO Nikolai Mladenov described the published roadmap as paving the way for the start of phase two of the peace plan.
Netanyahu’s Silence and Ben Gvir’s Rejection.
As of now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on the disarmament agreement, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejected the roadmap outright, describing it as unacceptable for Israel. Separately, sources told Al Arabiya/Al Hadath that the U.S. administration conveyed to Hamas, through a phone call with a mediator attended by a delegation from the movement, a pledge to guarantee reciprocity in implementing the peace deal and to prevent Netanyahu from obstructing its path. According to the sources, Washington affirmed it would hold Israel to its commitments, including withdrawal and the completion of agreed obligations, while acknowledging that implementation would not be easy and could face difficulties ahead — though U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner affirmed that Washington would not abandon the deal and would serve as its guarantor.
For its part, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza — expected to oversee the Strip during the transitional period — welcomed the progress made in preparing the roadmap and affirmed its readiness to assume responsibilities once implementation begins. The development comes after months of stalled efforts to stabilize the ceasefire agreement originally reached in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, last year.
