President Donald Trump on Friday said Israel was "very happy" with an agreement his so-called Board of Peace reached to pursue the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza.
"We do have an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy about it. Israel helped us, and they’ve been very good," Trump said, describing the arrangement as a significant diplomatic success. He acknowledged the difficulty of the task ahead, adding: "Will it go through its ups and downs? It’s a very complex situation over there."
Trump framed the agreement as a major breakthrough, noting that "nobody had thought it would be possible to disarm Hamas." He characterized the development as "a big step for the Middle East, and people are really impressed by it, and they’re surprised by it."
Earlier in the week, the president described the deal as a "major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan" to bring an end to Israel’s war in Gaza. He outlined that the agreement would be implemented in phases - a sequencing meant to tie disarmament progress to the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Under the phased approach, an International Stabilization Force would operate in tandem with a newly formed Palestinian police force to help secure the Gaza enclave as weapons are removed from armed groups. The administration’s plan links steps of Israeli troop withdrawal to measurable progress on disarmament.
The president’s remarks highlighted both the perceived diplomatic value of the accord and the practical complexities of carrying it out. By emphasizing phased implementation and international security participation alongside a local policing element, the outline presented aims to address both immediate security concerns and longer-term stabilization needs in Gaza.
Trump’s comments underscored his view that the agreement represents an unexpected diplomatic accomplishment while also acknowledging uncertainty in execution. The details he provided emphasize a staged process involving external security forces and a nascent Palestinian policing structure tasked with maintaining order as disarmament proceeds.
Summary: President Trump said Israel is "very happy" with a Board of Peace agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups in Gaza. He called it a major breakthrough, said implementation would be phased with Israeli withdrawal tied to disarmament progress, and said an International Stabilization Force would work with a new Palestinian police force to secure the enclave.