In brief
- US President Donald Trump has announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament of Hamas".
- There were reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not agreed to the deal.
United States President Donald Trump has announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza.
Hamas have reportedly agreed to the deal.
Specific details about what the deal will look like are slim, with neither Israel nor Hamas releasing public statements following Trump's announcement.
"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 said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, saying disarmament would take place in phases.
"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.
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"At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks."
He said it was a "major milestone in the implementation of the Trump 20-Point Plan" and said it would be carried out in "carefully structured phases".
"As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilisation Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza," he added.
He thanked Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye for their role as mediators.
"One year ago there was a violent raging war, humanitarian crisis and hostages kept in brutal captivity. We have made historic progress and there is still much work to do.
"The threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!"
"Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.
"CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ON THIS AMAZING DEVELOPMENT, THAT EVERYBODY SAID COULD NEVER BE ACHIEVED!"
Specific details of the deal are not yet public, with a full breakdown expected to be released within two weeks.
Hamas reportedly confirm deal, but details vague
Hamas officials have reportedly agreed to the deal, though they have not yet made a public statement.
An anonymous Hamas official told news wire Agence France-Presse (AFP) the roadmap offered a "balanced and pragmatic path forward, with all weapons decommissioned".
The source added there would be a "phased transition of responsibilities taking place to hand over full authority to the technocratic government".
They added there would be "no exceptions" for weapons or people, with all tunnels, weapons depots and production facilities to be eliminated and full control passing to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, working alongside the International Stabilisation Force.
Reuters separately reported that the first weapons to be handed over would be police weapons, ahead of the decommissioning of heavier weapons.
A Board of Peace official told the news wire the conditions required for the deal to proceed will be published within two weeks, with all military activity in Gaza to stop and reconstruction of Gaza to be overseen by the Board.
The Board of Peace is an international organisation established by Trump earlier this year to see Gaza's post-war governance and reconstruction.
Uncertainty over whether Israel will sign
Israel has not yet issued a public response to the deal.
But an Israeli political source told AFP the proposed deal did not "satisfactorily" address Israeli demands.
An undisclosed US official also told Reuters there was "close coordination with Israel" and that they were "very confident" Israel would adhere to the terms, but said Israel was "sceptical" that Hamas would disarm.
If Israel does not agree to the deal, "Trump will be disappointed", the news wire reported.
The official also said Iran had tried to convince Hamas not to agree to the deal, but that the US was able to overcome that.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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