President Donald Trump on Thursday announced an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza. Senior Hamas officials told AFP that the agreement reached with Israel includes provisions addressing the group’s weapons and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
“An agreement has been reached regarding the issue of weapons … Furthermore, an agreement has been reached on a gradual withdrawal of (Israeli forces)” from the strip, a senior Hamas official said. There was no immediate statement from Israel. Trump’s announcement came after sources familiar with the ongoing talks with mediators in Cairo told AFP that the Palestinian Islamist movement was progressing towards a deal involving the decommissioning of its weapons. “Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying disarmament would take place in “carefully structured phases.”
