U.S. President Donald Trump announced that a historic agreement has been reached for armed groups in Gaza to lay down their weapons. In a social media post, Trump declared that the Peace Council had agreed to the full disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups.
According to the agreement, as disarmament progresses, Israeli forces will withdraw, and an International Stabilization Force will secure Gaza together with a new Palestinian police force. Trump thanked Turkey, Qatar, and Egypt for their mediation, saying a historic breakthrough had been achieved.
Islamic Jihad rejects the deal
The Islamic Jihad Movement spokesperson stated that the agreement reports in the media were not true. In a written statement, they said, “The information published in the media is inaccurate. We have reservations about it in its current form.”
Hamas sets conditions for Israel
Hamas negotiation team member Ghazi Hamad told Al Jazeera that they will not take steps to disarm unless Israel fully implements its commitments under the agreement. Hamad stressed that the arms issue is directly linked to other key matters such as Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and the reconstruction of the area. Reminding that Israel had violated previous agreements, Hamad said, “Israel is an aggressive state built on treachery and killing.”
Peace Council representative confirms agreement
Gaza Peace Council High Representative Nickolay Mladenov announced in a social media post that an agreement had been reached on disabling weapons and on civilian passage in Gaza. Mladenov stated that Israel's withdrawal from occupied areas must proceed simultaneously with the laying down of arms. He thanked Trump for his leadership in the process, and Turkey, the US, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE for their support in the negotiations.
An unnamed U.S. official speaking to the Washington Post said that Hamas had accepted the draft agreement, but that it was not very different from a 20-point plan Israel had agreed to in principle a year ago. The official stated that they wanted Israel to comply with this plan, otherwise President Trump would be disappointed.
