After US President Donald Trump announced the Israel-Hamas peace deal, senior Hamas officials reportedly said the agreement to end the war includes provisions addressing the group’s weapons and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
Event Context
Hamas’ disarmament has been among the sticking points that have been a hurdle in the advancement of the ceasefire deal that has been in place between Israel and the group in Gaza since October.
“An agreement has been reached regarding the issue of weapons… Furthermore, an agreement has been reached on a gradual withdrawal of (Israeli forces)”, a Hamas official was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
Team Analysis
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Ghazi Hamad, a member of the group’s negotiating team, told the news agency that the movement was making “concessions for the sake of our people in the Gaza Strip, to save them from killing and displacement”.
He said the issue of the group’s weapons is tied to Israel’s withdrawal, the deployment of the National Committee and reconstruction work in the territory.
“Israel will not intervene in the issue of disarmament. The National Committee is the body that will undertake this task,” he further said.
“The National Committee for Administration of Gaza (NCAG) shall manage and execute the cataloguing and storage of weapons in accordance with the agreed timetable,” Hamad was quoted as saying, adding that the deal was reached after “lengthy and difficult” negotiations that lasted nearly six months.
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President Trump on Thursday announced the deal and termed it as ‘historic’.
“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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, saying disarmament would take place 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,” he added, also thanking mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey.
Match Outlook
“The National Committee will be the sole entity authorised to retain, store, or control weapons in Gaza.”
The National Committee for Administration of Gaza, established by the Board of Peace, has yet to enter the Gaza Strip.
Hamad termed the deal as an integrated framework whose components must remain interconnected. “The agreement addresses ending the war, the entry of the National Committee into the Gaza Strip, the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction and the deployment of international forces,” he said, adding that other armed militias must also be dismantled.
The Hamas official said the next step would be the discussion on implementation details with the mediators and agree on a timeline for carrying out the deal.
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“This process will take about 14 days, or perhaps longer. We must agree on every detail: how the agreement will be implemented, when it will be implemented and the mechanisms for carrying it out. This is what will take place in the coming days.”
“The agreement contains a clear provision stating that Israel must commit to and implement its obligations. If Israel does not implement the agreement, neither will we,” Hamad added.
