Board of Peace Eight-Month Disarmament Plan Text Published; Hamas Counters With Three-Year Alternative

On April 20, 2026, details of the Board of Peace's full disarmament plan for Gaza became more widely reported by the Times of Israel and other outlets. Under the plan, Hamas would be required to hand over heavy weaponry — rockets, rocket launchers, anti-tank missiles — plus maps of the Gaza tunnel network within 90 days (roughly three months), followed by a broader demilitarization process over eight months total. A buy-back program would offer employment and financial incentives to Qassam Brigades fighters who surrendered personal weapons. In direct contrast, Hamas had advanced a counter-proposal calling for a three-year disarmament timeline beginning with heavy weapons in year one while retaining light arms for self-defense during a transitional period. The IDF stated it expected Hamas to 'soon enter the disarmament process' and anticipated a handover of heavy weapons and tunnel maps in early May 2026 — though Hamas had given no public indication of accepting this timeline. The US maintained that Phase Two negotiations — covering a permanent ceasefire and Gaza's post-war political future — would not begin until the disarmament process was formally underway. The eight-month versus three-year gap remained the central impasse in Phase Two talks.