The main Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, has agreed to disarm in exchange for free passage out of Gaza for its leaders and a transition to political activity, reports citing sources privy to the information said on Thursday.
According to sources, Hamas has already handed over some weapons and maps of its underground tunnel network to the US, through a mechanism not yet revealed by the Trump administration.
Under the reported deal, Hamas would be allowed to participate in political activities in Gaza, and some of its bureaucrats and police officers would be permitted to work for a new administration, provided they pass an Israeli-American security check.
According to the sources quoted in the report, the leaders of the group will be allowed to leave the enclave, with the US assuring them that Israel will not target them abroad in the future. However, neither side has yet commented on the reports.
The Israeli side has also not responded to the developments. However, “Israel has significant reservations about a number of these understandings,” particularly the clause that allows Hamas to remain politically active in Gaza.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, throughout the two years of war, had vowed to destroy Hamas, an objective he was unable to fulfil.
The latest development regarding Hamas came hours before US President Donald Trump signed his Board of Peace into existence.
Originally planned as a small group of technocrats—mostly from the Middle East—to oversee reconstruction and governance, the Board of Peace has since expanded beyond Gaza into a sprawling organisation headed by Trump himself.
More than 60 countries were offered membership of the Gaza Board of Peace, with the US President demanding $1 billion per country for joining the group.
Many countries, including Qatar, Pakistan, and the UAE, accepted the membership offer; however, some European countries, like France, Denmark, and Sweden, rejected it, while a few major nations, such as Russia and India, were still assessing the offer.
Russian President Vladimir Putin received an invitation and has offered to donate $1 billion from Russian assets frozen in the US, regardless of whether or not he joins the board. Some 22 countries have joined the board to date.
Some critics have questioned the US intentions behind extending the scope of the Board of Peace beyond Gaza and have accused the US president of attempting to build a rival to the United Nations Security Council.
Trump announced the start of Phase Two of his 20-point plan to resolve the conflict in Gaza last week. Since then, more than 450 Palestinians and three Israeli soldiers have been killed in violations of the ceasefire that took effect.
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