Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump announced the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY, wrote the President.
President Trump further stated, “This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people. At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.
“This is a major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan. The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases. As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors.
“One year ago, there was a violent raging war, humanitarian crisis and hostages kept in brutal captivity. We have made historic progress and there is still much work to do.
“I want to thank the mediators—Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye—for their important efforts, and especially my outstanding team, whose tireless work made this historic breakthrough possible.
“The threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!
“Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.
“CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ON THIS AMAZING DEVELOPMENT, THAT EVERYBODY SAID COULD NEVER BE ACHIEVED!”
However, not all news sources agree on exactly what Hamas has said it will or will not do.
According to reporting by the BBC and the Times of Israel, Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior Hamas official, said, despite White House claims, that the group didn’t talk ‘for a single moment’ about giving up its weapons, and stressed the Hamas regime still in control in Gaza.
Abu Marzouk’s statement runs contrary to the insistence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump that the terror group give up its weapons in the near future as part of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. Trump has repeatedly asserted that Hamas “promised” to lay down its arms, and has threatened the group over the issue.
Abu Marzouk also suggested Hamas has a de facto veto on any appointment to the new technocratic committee set up to run the Gaza Strip, and stressed that Hamas still rules over the part of the enclave that, in accordance with the ceasefire, is not under IDF control.
The Times of Israel reported the senior official said a Hamas agreement to hand over its weapons “never happened, not for a single moment did we talk about the surrender of weapons, or any formula about destroying, surrendering, or disarmament.”
If Hamas was not disarmed in two years of war, “how can they obtain it through negotiations?” he asked.
Abu Marzouk indicated some disarmament was open for discussion, however, saying that at the negotiating table, “we will discuss which weapons will be removed, what will be removed, how they will be removed.”
Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza explicitly says that Hamas must give up its weapons, but the Hamas statement endorsing the plan contained significant conditions and did not directly mention disarmament.
Rather, the group said at the time that “other issues mentioned in President Trump’s proposal” — an apparent euphemism for disarming — would “be discussed within a comprehensive Palestinian national framework.”
We hope that President Trump is right about Hamas agreeing to give up its arms and transition Gaza to a peaceful non-terrorist civilian government, but this looks to us like Muslims agreeing to another hudna – a pause in hostilities to allow them to rearm and rebuild, rather than a permanent peace.
George Rasley is editor of Richard Viguerie's ConservativeHQ.com. A veteran of over 300 political campaigns, he served as a staff member, consultant or advance representative for some of America’s most recognized conservative political figures, including President Ronald Reagan, Senator Jesse Helms, Governor Sarah Palin and Representative Jack Kemp. A member of American MENSA, he served on the House and Senate staff and on the staff of Vice President Dan Quayle. Rasley is a graduate of Hanover College and studied international affairs at Oxford University's Worcester College. Rasley has lived, worked and travelled extensively in the Muslim world, including staffing Vice President Quayle on official visits to Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.
