US President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social Thursday that the Board of Peace had reached an agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, with Israeli forces to withdraw as disarmament progresses.
The was the key point of contention in a deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, following Hamas’ “surprise” attack in parts of Israel. Israel then retaliated, leading to a full-blown war.
Congratulating on the “amazing development,” Trump wrote on social media, “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.”
He said this agreement is a critical step towards “Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with theto help the Palestinian people.”
“At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks,” Trump added.
‘Structured phases’
Calling it a “major milestone in the implementation of the Trump said, “The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases.”
“As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors,’ Trump said while sharing details of the phased plan.
“One year ago, there was a violent, raging war, a humanitarian crisis and hostages kept in brutal captivity. We have made historic progress and there is still much work to do,” Trump wrote in TRUTH Social post.
Trump’s plan envisioned Hamas fighters laying down their arms in exchange for amnesty. But Hamas refused to disarm, with control of Gaza roughly divided between the militant group and Israeli forces.
He thanked the mediators — Egypt, Qatar, and Türkiye — for their important efforts, and “especially my outstanding team, whose tireless work made this historic breakthrough possible.”
“The threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!
Trump assured that under this agreement, “Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.”
“CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ON THIS AMAZING DEVELOPMENT, THAT EVERYBODY SAID COULD NEVER BE ACHIEVED!,” Trump said.
Hamas says will not abide if…
Senior Hamas officials also confirmed to AFP on Friday 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 Hamas official said, adding that the Islamist movement now expects the mediators and the Board of Peace to ensure that Israel complies with the terms of the deal.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ negotiating delegation, told Al Jazeera, “Hamas will not implement any step of the Gaza peace deal if the Israeli occupation forces do not fulfil their obligations under the agreement.”
He said the issue of disarmament is contingent upon Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the progress of reconstruction.
“Israel will not interfere in the disarmament issue, and the national committee is the one that will carry out this task”, he was quoted as saying.
He reportedly said negotiations to reach a final agreement were “tough and harsh,” and that Hamas tried to reach the best possible formula that could be achieved.
“Hamas remains steadfast in its national goals, represented by preserving the rights of the Palestinian people,” he said.
What’s next? Egypt to host multi-nation meeting on Gaza ceasefire roadmap
A meeting will be held soon in Cairo, bringing together mediators from Egypt, the US, Qatar and Turkiye to ensure that all parties commit to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Al-Qahira News reported, as per Al Jazeera.
An Egyptian source was quoted as saying that the upcoming talks aimed to reaffirm the commitments made by all concerned sides to the roadmap, according to Al-Qahira News.
It added that Hamas and other Palestinian factions had officially approved the proposal, which sets out terms for the deployment of international forces and the entry of a National Committee to carry out its duties.
The agreement, according to the report, would pave the way for early recovery operations and reconstruction efforts across the Gaza Strip.
Role of International Stabilization Force
Israel recently approved the deployment of an International Stabilization Force into the enclave to maintain security and oversee demilitarization.
As per Al Jazeera, the International Stabilization Force will perform three roles:
“First, it will support the training of a new Palestinian police force. It will then also position itself between the Israelis and the people of Gaza, as the Israelis begin to move out, and they will oversee the process of decommissioning, which includes decommissioning the extensive tunnel network that is in Gaza.”
