The US-led Board of Peace has reached an agreement with Hamas for the resistance group’s “complete disarmament” in the besieged enclave of Gaza, US President Donald Trump said on Friday.
But a Hamas spokesperson has linked the deal to a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a demand that Israel has shown little willingness to accept.
Israel remains “very sceptical that Hamas will disarm”, according to a Reuters news report.
The latest development follows the announcement by Hamas on July 6 that it was dissolving its government in Gaza and formally handing over administration to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) under the US-backed ceasefire framework.
Analysts have cast doubts whether Israel will stick to the terms of the agreement and withdraw from the enclave, 65 percent of which is currently under strict Israeli control.
The widespread scepticism about Israel’s commitment to the tenuous ceasefire stems from Tel Aviv’s repeated violations of peace agreements with a number of countries, especially after October 7, 2023.
Here’s a brief overview of Israeli actions that breached peace agreements with regional players over the last three years.
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Israel reached a ceasefire with Hamas on November 22, 2023, to achieve the release of about 50 citizens held in Gaza since the October 7 blitz.
But Hamas soon reported that Israel provoked and engaged its members in a “field clash”. As a result, the ceasefire ended on December 1, 2023.
A second ceasefire came into effect on January 19, 2025, paving the way for a mass return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza.
But less than 20 days later, Hamas announced a suspension of the agreement because of repeated Israeli violations.
In particular, Hamas said Israel deliberately delayed the return of displaced people and blocked aid into Gaza.
Israel ended the ceasefire on March 18, 2025, and launched a massive attack that killed more than 400 people in Gaza.
The Israeli occupation forces opened fire in southern Rafah on the vehicles of aid workers on March 23, 2025, killing 15 medics.
In subsequent days, Israeli jets dropped bombs on a residential building, killing more than 35 Palestinians and wounding another 70.
Israel kept bombing Gaza over the following months despite concerted efforts by mediators to save the ceasefire.
More than 10 percent of Gaza’s population was either killed or injured in the first two years of Israel’s genocidal war.
A third ceasefire came into effect in the beginning of October 2025.
Hamas agreed to release all hostages, end the war, and give up the administration of Gaza. As a result, Israeli forces started withdrawing from parts of Gaza.
