Trump announces agreement for ‘the complete disarmament’ of Hamas

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that the Gaza Peace Board had reached what he described as a “historic” agreement to secure the “complete disarmament of Hamas.” He announced the deal late in the day on social media, without official confirmation from either the Israeli government or the Palestinian militant group. According to the Republican president, talks in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders had produced this significant breakthrough in efforts to bring peace to the Palestinian enclave.“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump said. “At the same time, Israel will have ⁠the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks,” he added.Trump said the pact marked “a monumental step” in implementing his 20-point plan for peace in Gaza. He said it would be carried out in “carefully structured phases.” Under the outline presented by the U.S. president, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza as the disarmament process is completed. “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,” he wrote.Sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters that progress had been made. But it remains unclear whether the agreement will hold, as a senior Israeli official had indicated that the proposed terms were unsatisfactory. Israel’s embassy in Washington and Hamas did not respond to questions about Trump’s announcement.Before Trump made the announcement, Israeli strikes on Thursday had killed at least six Palestinians in Gaza, including two children, according to medical officials. A Hamas official and a diplomat close to the Cairo talks said the reported progress would ultimately be tested by Israel’s response and by whether it allowed a broader agreement to be reached.However, the Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that Israel had rejected one of the proposals under discussion.“Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarization of the Strip as a precondition for any process,” the official said. “The 15-point document in question does not provide a satisfactory response to these demands and Israel conveyed its objections”Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition