world · 2026-07-31
Trump Claims Deal on Hamas Disarmament
Photo: U.S. Embassy Jerusalem / flickr (BY-SA 2.0)
Trump says Cairo talks yielded a deal for Hamas's complete disarmament in phases, calling it historic.Israel rejected the 15-point plan hours earlier, saying it doesn't meet its demand for full demilitarization.Gaza ceasefire holds shakily as strikes killed 6 Palestinians Thursday and 1,200+ since the truce began.
Where do talks stand after Israel's rejection?
Trump said Cairo talks led to a deal on Hamas's complete disarmament in phases, but Israel had rejected the 15-point document hours earlier, saying it didn't meet its demand for Gaza's full demilitarization.
What exactly did Hamas agree to hand over?
Egyptian sources said Hamas agreed to hand over weapons but wants changes to how 'militant infrastructure' is defined before final sign-off, a gap still under negotiation in Cairo, with the Board of Peace overseeing implementation of Trump's Gaza plan.
How does Egypt's account differ from Israel's?
Egyptian sources said Hamas had agreed to several contentious points including weapons handover, while Israel's official said the 15-point document failed to satisfy its demilitarization demands, with authority to transfer in phases to the U.S.-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
What is Trump's Board of Peace's actual role?
The Board of Peace oversees implementation of Trump's Gaza plan and appointed envoy Nickolay Mladenov to draft a roadmap addressing demilitarization, but it declined to comment on the Cairo talks themselves.
Could a deal here really end the strikes?
Israeli strikes have killed over 1,200 Palestinians since the ceasefire began, while 4 Israeli soldiers have died. A deal wouldn't guarantee an immediate halt, since talks have stalled for 4 months already.
Why has demilitarization stalled talks?
Hamas wants to store heavy weapons under a Palestinian body rather than surrender them to Israel, a distinction Israel has treated as insufficient given its demand for complete removal and demilitarization of the Strip as a precondition.
What does Israel's 70% control plan signal?
Netanyahu said Israel intends to expand control to 70% of Gaza, a sign Israeli forces aren't withdrawing even as talks describe a phased Israeli pullout as part of the roadmap overseen by Trump's Board of Peace.
Would an international force even be ready?
The diplomat close to talks said it's unclear how many troops would be available for the planned International Stabilization Force, or whether Israeli troops would actually leave Gaza, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intends to expand control to 70% of the enclave.
Who beyond Gazans is shaping this outcome?
Hamas, Israel, mediators Egypt/Qatar/Turkey, and the U.S.-backed Board of Peace led by envoy Nickolay Mladenov all shape whether Gaza gets a new civilian government or continued Israeli occupation.
Why do near-daily strikes continue despite a truce
The ceasefire only halted full-scale fighting. Israel says it continues striking Hamas militants in Gaza, which is why civilian deaths have kept climbing even under a nominal truce, with more than 1,200 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire took effect.
Who runs Gaza if this roadmap succeeds?
The roadmap calls for transferring authority in phases to the U.S.-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, under the principle of one authority, one law, one weapon, while also requiring the elimination of tunnels, arms stockpiles and weapons production facilities.
What happens to Hamas's tunnels and arms sites?
The plan includes eliminating tunnels, arms stockpiles and weapons production facilities, with authority transferred in phases to the U.S.-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, aiming to leave no militant infrastructure once complete.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com