How will the Board of Peace implementation plan reshape Gaza ?

What Happened

On Friday, July 31, the US-backed Board of Peace announced that Hamas had agreed to a detailed roadmap for implementing subsequent phases of the Trump administration's Gaza peace initiative. The agreement, brokered after months of negotiations involving the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, establishes a process for Hamas to decommission its weapons in lockstep with a verified Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. A new technocratic Palestinian body, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), would gradually assume governance, supported by an International Stabilization Force (ISF) that has yet to be fully staffed. The plan builds on UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and the Sharm el-Sheikh Protocol, and includes an International Verification Committee with representatives from guarantor countries, the Board of Peace, and the ISF to monitor compliance. Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov emphasized that successful implementation requires genuine verification and synchronized steps, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that verification of Hamas compliance will be a significant challenge.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

This roadmap represents the first concrete attempt to move beyond ceasefires toward a structural resolution of Hamas's military role and Israeli presence in Gaza. If implemented, it could end decades of Hamas rule and enable reconstruction and a political transition backed by an international force. The involvement of multiple guarantors and a verification mechanism signals a robust diplomatic framework, but skepticism remains high due to past failures and the immense challenge of verified disarmament. Success would dramatically reshape the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and regional security dynamics.

Watch For

The start of weapons decommissioning by Hamas and the parallel movement of Israeli forces out of Gaza under the verification committee's oversight. The deployment and composition of the International Stabilization Force, currently lacking personnel beyond commitments from Kosovo, Albania, and Morocco. The NCAG's assumption of administrative control and its ability to deliver services. Reactions from other Palestinian factions, the Israeli government, and the US Congress, as well as any procedural steps at the UN Security Council related to Resolution 2803. Former US negotiator Dennis Ross estimated the decommissioning process could take about eight months, providing a rough timeline for milestones.