US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that an agreement had been reached for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, describing the deal as a key step towards setting up a new Palestinian government in Gaza.
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Senior Hamas leaders told news agency AFP that the agreement had been finalised. They also said they expect the mediators and Trump’s Board of Peace to ensure that Israel follows the terms of the deal.
“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 was quoted as saying by the agency.
Inside the Israel-Hamas peace deal
The announcement comes nine months after a US-brokered ceasefire agreement was signed. Notably, talks between Israel and Hamas had remained stalled over the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire, particularly the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.
