CAIRO, Egypt (Reuters) — Hamas would be required to allow the destruction of its vast Gaza tunnel network as it lays down its arms in stages under a disarmament plan that was presented to the terror group by US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, and viewed by Reuters.

The plan follows an eight-month timeline that begins with a US-backed committee of Palestinian technocrats taking security control of Gaza and concludes with Israeli forces withdrawing completely upon “verification that Gaza is free of weaponry.”

Hamas’s disarmament is a critical sticking point in talks to implement Trump’s plan for Gaza and cement an October 2025 ceasefire that halted two years of full-blown war, triggered by the terror group’s invasion and massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Hamas has long rejected calls to lay down its weapons, which are believed to have largely been transported and stored in tunnels under Gaza.

‘One authority, one law, one weapon’

The plan’s full text, which was first reported by Al Jazeera, was shared with Reuters by two Palestinian officials involved in the talks. A Hamas official confirmed its authenticity. The Board of Peace presented the plan to Hamas last week. Hamas has not commented publicly on it.

The plan includes two components: a 12-point document titled “Steps to Complete the Implementation of Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza,” and a five-stage timeline during which Hamas would surrender its arms over eight months.

The document says that all armed factions in Gaza, including terror groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad, will participate in a disarmament process that will be overseen by the Palestinian technocrats, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

“Gaza will be governed under the principle of one authority, one law, one weapon, whereby only individuals authorized by (NCAG) may possess weapons, and all armed factions will cease military activities,” the document says.

The disarmament process will be “verified by the Weapons Collection Verification Committee,” a body that will be set up by Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s lead envoy, the document says.

Reconstruction will only be allowed in areas that are designated as demilitarized, it says.

Eight-month disarmament plan

The October ceasefire left Israel in control of over half of Gaza, with Hamas keeping a firm grip on the other half of the ​enclave and its ⁠two million people, many of whom are displaced after two years of relentless war.

Hamas, committed to what it calls armed resistance and sworn to Israel’s destruction, has publicly rejected calls to disarm in recent months. But in private, Hamas officials have voiced openness to disarmament so long as it is done along a political track that would see the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The 12-point plan makes no mention of Palestinian statehood or independence, and Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly ruled out this possibility. A Hamas official said the group was studying the document.

On Thursday, three Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad issued statements criticizing the plan, saying it unfairly prioritized disarmament over things like reconstruction and Israeli military withdrawals.

According to the plan’s timeline, the first stage, consisting of 15 days, would see NCAG take security and administrative control of Gaza and begin preparatory steps for weapons collection.

In the second stage, days 16-40, Israel would remove all heavy weapons from areas under its control, including heavy artillery and tanks, and an international security force would be deployed.

The third stage, from days 30-90, would be the most intensive: Hamas would give all its heavy weapons and military equipment to NCAG, and “will allow the destruction of all tunnels, explosives and military infrastructure.”

In the fourth stage, from day 91-250, NCAG’s police forces would collect and register all remaining weapons, including guns and rifles. Israeli forces begin to withdraw in stages.

The fifth stage is described as “final verification” of disarmament, and would see “Israeli forces withdraw completely from Gaza except for a presence in a security perimeter, and the start of comprehensive reconstruction efforts.”

The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 72,000 people in the Strip were killed during the war with Israel — including over 600 since the October 2025 ceasefire — though the toll does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.

The Israeli military believes that Hamas’s overall toll is largely accurate, with IDF officials estimating that two to three civilians were killed for every dead terror operative. Israel says it seeks to minimize civilian casualties and accuses Hamas of using human shields and fighting from civilian areas.

Israel’s toll in the ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza and in military operations along the border with the Strip stands at 477. The toll includes two police officers and three Defense Ministry civilian contractors.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

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