Hamas has agreed to a United States-backed plan announced by President Donald Trump to end the war in Gaza.
Newsextra24 understands that the agreement includes the handover of its weapons to a Palestinian governing body and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory.
The development was announced on Friday as part of efforts to advance the next phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
However, Israel has yet to officially endorse the latest announcement, with an Israeli political source insisting that there would be no withdrawal of its forces from their current positions unless Hamas carried out what was described as a genuine disarmament.
According to Al Jazeera, sources told journalists that “there will be no withdrawal whatsoever” from the current Israeli lines “unless Hamas undergoes a genuine disarmament.”
The issue of Hamas’ weapons has remained one of the biggest obstacles to the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Trump announced on Thursday that an agreement had been reached for Hamas’ “complete disarmament,” describing the move as a critical step towards establishing a new Palestinian administration in Gaza.
According to Hamas officials, a committee set up by Trump’s Board of Peace would oversee the process of storing the group’s weapons.
Hamas said it expected international mediators and the Board of Peace to ensure that Israel also fulfilled its obligations under the agreement, including the withdrawal of its forces from Gaza.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ negotiating team, said the group had agreed to make difficult concessions in order to protect Palestinians in the territory.
“Hamas is making concessions for the sake of our people in the Gaza Strip, to save them from killing and displacement,” he said.
Hamad also insisted that Israel would not be responsible for overseeing the disarmament process.
“Israel will not intervene in the issue of disarmament. The National Committee is the body that will undertake this task,” he said, referring to the National Committee for Administration of Gaza.
Israel has repeatedly maintained that Hamas must be fully disarmed before its troops withdraw from Gaza.
The Israeli position was reinforced after the latest announcement, with a political source saying the removal of weapons and complete demilitarisation of Gaza remained conditions for any further process.
The source said “the removal of weapons from Gaza and full demilitarisation of the Strip” were necessary before Israeli forces could pull back.
The position was also opposed by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, who described the agreement as unacceptable.
He argued that the plan could allow Hamas to reorganise and prepare for another attack.
Ben Gvir said the agreement was “tantamount to agreeing to Hamas organising for the next massacre”.
