The 'Board of Peace' announced a Palestinian body will take Hamas weapons. That's not what Trump said

The 'Board of Peace' announced a Palestinian body will take Hamas weapons. That's not what Trump said 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)".

That's not what Trump said Palestinian fighters from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, are seen inside an underground tunnel in Gaza, on 18 August 2014 (Mohammed Salem/Reuters) That's not what Trump said Submitted by Yasmine El-Sabawi on Fri, 07/31/2026 - 18:16 The US president told reporters on Friday that the board itself will handle the handover Palestinian fighters from the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, are seen inside an underground tunnel in Gaza, on 18 August 2014 (Mohammed Salem/Reuters) Off 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. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "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. "This is just kind of the latest manifestation of the chaotic nature of this," Guy Ziv, the associate director at the Meltzer Schwartzberg Center for Israel Studies at American University, told Middle East Eye. Bishara Bahbah, the Palestinian-American former chair of Arab Americans for Trump, who spent most of last year as a backchannel between Hamas and Trump's negotiating team ahead of the October ceasefire announcement, told MEE he does not believe there are duelling statements from the board and Trump.