US President Donald Trump said Thursday that Washington will reach an agreement with Hamas that will see it fully disarm, threatening the terror group if it doesn’t get on board.
“With the support of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, we will secure a COMPREHENSIVE demilitarization agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of ALL weapons, and the dismantling of EVERY tunnel,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
“Hamas must IMMEDIATELY honor its commitments, including the return of the final body to Israel, and proceed without delay to full demilitarization,” Trump added. “As I have said before, they can do this the easy way, or the hard way. The people of Gaza have suffered long enough. The time is now.”
The US has claimed that during a meeting with Trump’s top aides on the eve of the October 2025 ceasefire deal, Hamas officials agreed to disarm — something the terrorist group has denied.
The US has been in talks with Mideast mediators Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have assured Washington that Hamas will agree to a gradual disarmament plan that would begin with the terror organization giving up its heavy weaponry and the launch of a “buy-back” program for lighter weapons, according to the US official and two Arab diplomats, who said the goal is to begin implementing the program in the coming weeks.
Get The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the terms
A senior US official briefing reporters on Wednesday said all terror infrastructure in Gaza will be destroyed and “heavy weaponry, like RPGs, rocket launchers and missiles” will “need to be put into a place where they’re not being used.”
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH. https://t.co/yys48p3AZm pic.twitter.com/cKLz0XGLUx
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 16, 2026
But he notably made no mention of light weapons, which Israel is also insisting be part of the disarmament program, arguing that AK-47s are what Hamas uses to maintain its control of Gazans in the Strip.
Trump’s comments in the Truth Social post went further than those by his aide in the briefing, insisting that every weapon must be handed over, something Hamas is unlikely to accept.
Still, the US officials briefing reporters on Wednesday acknowledged that talks with Hamas on disarmament are still in their initial stages.
Hamas officials have publicly asserted that the organization will only agree to give up its weapons in a negotiated process that results in the establishment of a Palestinian state — something that Israel rejects.
Trump, in his Thursday Truth Social post, echoed the announcement made by his envoy Steve Witkoff on Wednesday, saying “we have OFFICIALLY entered the next phase of Gaza’s 20-Point Peace Plan!”
“Since the ceasefire, my team has helped deliver RECORD LEVELS of humanitarian aid to Gaza, reaching civilians at HISTORIC speed and scale. Even the United Nations has acknowledged this achievement as UNPRECEDENTED. These results have set the stage for this next phase,” Trump claimed.
Palestinian workers inspect sweets locally known as “al-Shatwi” (Winter) Crimbo sweets, as the Al-Arees factory gradually resumes operation following the Gaza war, which led to shortages of raw materials used in their products, in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, January 12, 2026. (Bashar Taleb / AFP)
While basic food supplies have indeed increased significantly since the start of the ceasefire, lack of sufficient shelter has become a major issue, with aid organizations lamenting Israeli restrictions on metal poles necessary to stabilize tents that have been widely filmed falling apart amid the winter winds. Israel says Hamas could use those materials for weapons and therefore has not allowed them into Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are living in tents.
“As chairman of the Board of Peace, I am backing a newly appointed Palestinian Technocratic Government, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), supported by the Board’s high representative, to govern Gaza during its transition,” Trump adds, apparently referring to former UN envoy to the Mideast Nickolay Mladenov.
“These Palestinian leaders are unwaveringly committed to a peaceful future!” Trump says of the 15 NCAG members, who met for the first time on Thursday.
An hour earlier, Trump made another announcement on Truth Social, declaring that the long-pledged Board of Peace had been assembled.
“The members of the board will be announced shortly,” Trump wrote, referring to the panel of world leaders who will oversee the NCAG and the broader postwar management of Gaza.
The US has been aiming to hold the first meeting of the Board of Peace on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos next week.
Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 06:24 PM EST 01.15.26 pic.twitter.com/EUbfbUMdhT
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 15, 2026
The Times of Israel reported last month that the US had informed its interlocutors that it had secured commitments from Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany to have their leaders join Trump on the Board of Peace.
The US was seeking to more than double that number, but was having limited success to date, a senior Arab diplomat said last week, adding that Washington is considering filling spots on the panel with the heads of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and World Economic Forum.
But briefing reporters on Wednesday, a US official was bullish about the Board of Peace’s makeup, saying that Trump was personally involved in selecting who would receive an invitation to join him on the panel. The official added that invitations were sent out earlier in the day to “a lot of countries” and that “there has been a very overwhelming response.”
Is accurate Israel coverage important to you?
If so, we have a request.
Every day during the past two years of war and rising global anti-Zionism and antisemitism, our journalists kept you abreast of the most important developments that merit your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI for fact-based coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. So we have an ask for this new year of 2026: express your values by joining The Times of Israel Community, an exclusive group for readers like you who appreciate and financially support our work.
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You appreciate our journalism
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel