Trump tells Hamas to proceed with ‘Full and Immediate’ disarmament

WEST PALM BEACH: US President Donald Trump on Sunday urged Hamas to move forward with disarmament under his plan for postwar Gaza, and said members of his so-called “Board of Peace” had pledged $5 billion to the Palestinian territory’s reconstruction.

“Very importantly, Hamas must uphold its commitment to Full and Immediate Demilitarization,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, ahead of a February 19 meeting of the board in Washington.

Disarmament is a key part in the second phase of the US-brokered ceasefire plan sealed in October between Israel and the Palestinian group.

The United Nations endorsed the plan in November.

The second phase stipulates that Israeli forces gradually withdraw from Gaza and Hamas should disarm, with an international stabilization force deployed to ensure security.

READ MORE: Israeli airstrikes kill 9 in Gaza, including tent camp, Palestinian officials say

Hamas has repeatedly said that disarmament is a red line, although it has indicated it could consider handing over its weapons to a future Palestinian governing authority.

Both sides accuse each other daily of ceasefire violations.

Although originally intended to oversee Gaza’s rebuilding, the charter for the “Board of Peace” does not seem to limit its role to the Palestinian territory.

“The Board of Peace has unlimited potential,” Trump said Sunday in his post.

After an initial meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, the board is due to meet Thursday in the US capital.

Countries have been asked to pay $1 billion for permanent membership of the board, and the invitation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country invaded Ukraine in 2022, has drawn criticism.

Key US allies including France and Britain have expressed doubts.

Trump said the $5 billion in pledges by member states would be formally announced then, and that members also “have committed thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force and Local Police to maintain Security and Peace for Gazans.”

Trump has said the organization will work “in conjunction” with the United Nations.

“The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential International Body in History,” he said.

Under the ceasefire plan, a Palestinian technocratic committee has also been set up with a goal of taking over governance in the battered Gaza Strip.