President Donald Trump says an agreement has been reached for Hamas to disarm and for Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza in stages. If implemented, it could unlock the most difficult part of the US-brokered ceasefire and pave the way for a new Palestinian administration, international security support and reconstruction; however, Israel has not confirmed its agreement and major uncertainties remain.

Officials said Gaza’s police force could hand over weapons within two weeks, but this would not include most Hamas fighters or heavy weapons. The later surrender of heavy weapons and destruction of tunnels could take 200 to 350 days, while Israel remains sceptical of Hamas’s intentions. The war began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and involved 251 hostages; Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians.