Key Takeaways
- US President Donald Trump announced a deal for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
- The agreement was reached during talks between mediators and Hamas leaders in Cairo, but Israel remains sceptical.
- Hamas officials described the deal as a draft, with conditions that must be met before implementation.
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday a deal for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. The announcement came after talks between mediators and Hamas leaders in Cairo, which Trump called a 'major milestone' towards ending the conflict.
In a social media post, Trump stated that the Board of Peace had reached an 'HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.' He added that this was a significant step towards lasting peace and security in the region.
According to Trump, the disarmament would come in phases and would pave the way for a new Palestinian government working closely with the Board of Peace. The US President also noted that Israel would benefit from the agreement as Gaza would no longer be used as a base for terror attacks.
However, Israeli officials expressed scepticism about Hamas' willingness to disarm. An Israeli political source told Reuters that Israel's position remained that 'there will be no withdrawal whatsoever of the IDF from the current Yellow Line unless Hamas undergoes a genuine disarmament.'
A senior Hamas official involved in the negotiations told Reuters that implementation would depend on Israel first meeting its commitments under an agreement reached last year, which bound it to a phased end to military operations and withdrawal of its forces from Gaza.
Hamas issued a statement saying that the first step towards an agreement would have to be a commitment by Israel 'to stopping the killing and ending its attacks.' Within hours of Trump unveiling the deal, Gazan medical authorities reported one Palestinian killed and several wounded in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire.
On Friday, Hamas official Ghazi Hamad stated that heavy weapons would only be stored and kept under the control of a Palestinian administration, and could not be transferred to Israel. He added, 'We will not take any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip.'
Israeli far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir said on his Telegram channel that the draft agreement was unacceptable and that Israel's policy of assassinating Hamas leaders must continue.
Gazans, still struggling with basic survival after the Israeli military campaign in response to a deadly 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, remained sceptical about the deal. They expressed little confidence in its implementation.
Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.
Donald Trump, US President
We will not take any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip.
Ghazi Hamad, Hamas official
