US President Donald Trump on Thursday announced an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza.
There was no immediate statement from Hamas on the agreement, but Trump's announcement came after sources familiar with the ongoing talks with mediators in Cairo told AFP that the Palestinian Islamist movement was progressing towards a deal involving the decommissioning of its weapons.
"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.
The thorny issue of Hamas's disarmament has been one of the key sticking points in the advancement of the ceasefire deal that has been in place between Israel and the group in Gaza since October.
