US President Donald Trump said an agreement has been reached for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas in Gaza, in what would mark the resolution of the single biggest obstacle to peace talks in the enclave.
In a statement, Hamas said the handover of its heavy weapons is contingent on Israel ending “all forms of aggression” and withdrawing from Gaza. A senior Israeli official pushed back, saying Israel will not withdraw further “without the genuine disarmament of Hamas,” while US officials had earlier said Trump would be “very disappointed” if Israel failed to follow through on withdrawal.
It remains too early to judge whether the agreement will hold, but the BBC’s Rushdi Abualouf notes that this marks the first time Hamas has ever said it would fully disarm, a step that has long stood as the most significant sticking point in ceasefire negotiations.
Announcing the agreement late Thursday, Trump described it as “a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government.” The disarmament of Hamas forms part of the second phase of the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan, first released last October.
Independent access to Gaza remains tightly restricted: international journalists have been barred by Israel from entering the Strip on their own since the war began in 2023.
