Hamas and other Palestinian factions have reached an agreement on a disarmament plan in Gaza, a move described by US President Donald Trump as a "major step" toward peace and security. The agreement document, signed on Thursday, outlines a specific disarmament roadmap to be prepared within 14 days, with the possibility of an extension if approved by an international verification body.
A Peace Council official said Hamas and armed groups would hand over weapons to the National Committee established to manage Gaza. Police force weapons will be transferred first, followed by the removal of heavy weaponry. All military operations in Gaza will cease under the plan, although the official acknowledged that implementation will take time.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas's negotiating delegation, told Al Jazeera that the talks were "difficult and complex," stressing that Hamas would not implement any part of the agreement unless Israeli forces fulfill their obligations. He said disarmament depends on Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and the reconstruction process for the Palestinian territory.
President Trump praised the deal as a success for the Peace Council, the body established to oversee Gaza's governance. On his Truth Social platform, he wrote: "This agreement is an important step toward Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that works closely with the Peace Council to help the Palestinian people. At the same time, Israel will achieve the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer a base for terrorist attacks."
Trump said Israel would withdraw its forces from Gaza, replaced by an International Stabilization Force coordinated with a "new Palestinian police force" after disarmament is completed. The agreement is seen as part of a ceasefire deal he brokered in October aimed at ending Israel's military campaign in Gaza, where more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Hamas leaders have been in Cairo since the weekend for talks with Egyptian, Qatari, and Turkish mediators. An unnamed Hamas official said the negotiations were "positive" and "progressing." Egypt will soon host further talks in Cairo with mediators from Egypt, the US, Qatar, and Turkey to secure commitments for the second phase of the ceasefire roadmap.
However, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another armed group in Gaza, said reports of an agreement between factions and Israel were inaccurate, expressing reservations about the language in the circulating document. Hamas had previously announced the dissolution of the Gaza governing body it has headed for nearly two decades on July 6.
Meanwhile, Israel has yet to make an official comment. Israeli strikes on Gaza on Thursday killed six Palestinians, including two children, raising concerns about the sustainability of the ceasefire deal, which has been repeatedly violated.
