Middle East crisis Gaza war

Trump: Agreement Reached – Hamas to Disarm

Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip have agreed to disarm. The announcement comes from President Donald Trump, who states that the so-called Gaza Peace Council has reached an agreement with the groups.

"This is a monumental step towards lasting peace and security," Trump wrote on Truth Social during the night before Friday.

The exact terms of the agreement are still unknown. According to Trump's post, Israeli forces will withdraw once the weapons are removed from the streets of Gaza. He also writes that an international stabilization force will be established and will cooperate with a new Palestinian police authority.

The disarmament agreement is a condition of the ceasefire agreement that came into effect last fall. However, the issue is said to have been difficult to resolve and has put a damper on the peace talks.

Hamas confirms: Has signed the agreement

Terrorist Hamas confirms that they have reached an agreement to disarm, sources within the group tell AFP and the BBC. Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip will hand over their weapons to the so-called Palestinian Technocratic Committee, which will then be responsible for storing the weapons.

In order for the deal to be completed, Israeli forces must completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip. This is also part of the signed agreement, according to President Donald Trump.

The process of handing over the weapons will begin next week, according to information to Reuters.

Hamas: Israel must take the first step

Hamas promises to respect the agreement with the Gaza Peace Council - if Israel first fulfills its part of the agreement. This is what Hamas representative Ghazi Hamad says according to Reuters.

“We will not hand over our weapons until Israel leaves the Gaza Strip,” he told al-Jazeera.

According to Hamas, this is also the arrangement that has been decided. When Israel backs down, Hamas will hand over its weapons for safekeeping to a newly formed Palestinian Authority, so that the weapons do not reach Israel, writes Haaretz.

Israel has not yet commented on the deal. As recently as Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was against what was negotiated.