Hamas — the Palestinian militant group that has controlled Gaza through tunnels, rockets, and terror for two decades — agreed to disarm. All weapons. All armed groups. A deal brokered by President Donald Trump's Board of Peace.
Every foreign policy "expert" who spent 2024 warning that Trump would set the Middle East on fire is welcome to update their predictions.
Trump announced the breakthrough Wednesday on Truth Social: "Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza." The emphasis was his. The caps lock was earned. A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place since October, but this goes further than anyone outside the administration publicly predicted — full weapons decommissioning, Israeli military withdrawal, and a transition to a new Palestinian police force operating under international oversight.
Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza, which drew skepticism when it was first released, provided the framework. An International Stabilization Force will work alongside the new police apparatus, and a body called the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza will oversee the civilian transition.
A senior Hamas official confirmed the deal to AFP: "An agreement has been reached regarding the issue of weapons ... Furthermore, an agreement has been reached on a gradual withdrawal of (Israeli forces)." That's Hamas — not the White House, not a pro-Trump outlet — confirming they agreed to give up their arms.
A diplomatic source involved in the negotiations said, "No exceptions for certain weapons or certain people. One authority, one law, one weapon." The same source outlined the broader vision: "We continue to advance the implementation roadmap that offers a balanced and pragmatic path forward, with all weapons decommissioned and a phased transition of responsibilities taking place to hand over full authority to the technocratic government."
Israel isn't doing cartwheels. An Israeli political source stated that "Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and full demilitarization of the Strip." That's a higher bar than what's been announced — removal of weapons from Gaza entirely versus decommissioning them in place.
Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey were all involved in the negotiations alongside the United States. That coalition alone tells you something — Trump's team assembled a group of regional players with competing interests and got them rowing in the same direction. The previous administration's approach to Gaza involved strongly worded statements and asking nicely.
The experts said he'd start wars. He keeps brokering deals to end them. At some point the gap between the prediction and the result stops being a miscalculation and starts being something else entirely.