President Donald Trump announced Thursday that a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw forces from Gaza, though significant hurdles and long timelines remain. The White House announcement comes nine months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was signed, with negotiations largely deadlocked over implementation of the second phase.

Trump's 20-point ceasefire plan calls for Hamas to surrender weapons and destroy its tunnel network, Israeli withdrawal, a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force, and Gaza's reconstruction. A Hamas official confirmed agreement on disarmament, but Israel has not indicated acceptance. U.S. and Board of Peace officials said Gaza police would turn over weapons within two weeks, though this excludes most Hamas militants and heavy weaponry. Surrender of heavy weapons and tunnel decommissioning could take 200 and 350 days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump Tuesday, but Israel remains deeply skeptical of Hamas' willingness to relinquish control. The war began after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, per Gaza's Health Ministry, with Israel now controlling over half of Gaza.