US President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters that the “Board of Peace” will be the one to collect Hamas’s weapons as the group begins to disarm, even though the board itself had announced that a Palestinian technocratic body will assume that role.
The details matter because the statements marked the first on-camera opportunity for the president to build confidence in the Board of Peace announcement - an organisation for which he is chairman for life.
“As Hamas disarms as part of this plan, who do you see is taking possession of those weapons that they have? Does that go to the new government?” a reporter asked Trump during his cabinet meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.
“It’s going to be run by the Board of Peace. This Board of Peace has been amazing. It’s led by some amazing people,” the president responded.
Just hours earlier, the board had shared on X that there would be “a framework that includes full demilitarization, de-radicalization, and the transfer of all civilian and security authorities in Gaza to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)”.
**“Only the NCAG will hold, store or control any weapon in the Strip,” the Board said. **
That language was likely key to ensuring Hamas agreed to the handover, given it has repeatedly made clear it will only deal with other Palestinians, in a bid to demonstrate national unity.
Israel continue to do daily terrorist attacks so who care who get the arms . Hamas should simply not disarm. Dead if you do dead if you don’t
Hamas said they’ll only hand in the weapons after Israel leaves. At this point Hamas should simply get Israel to leave and then say their weapons magically disappeared. Scam the scammers.
