Hamas confirmed Friday it had accepted a proposal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump aimed at ending the war with Israel, agreeing to hand over its weapons to a Palestinian governing committee and accept the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Israel did not immediately respond to the announcement. Earlier Friday, however, an Israeli political source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the proposed agreement did not "satisfactorily" address Israel's demand for the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
The source also said the issue of Gaza "did not come up at all" during this week's meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump in Washington.
The fate of Hamas' weapons has been one of the biggest obstacles to implementing the cease-fire that has been in place since October.
Late Thursday, Trump announced what he described as an agreement for Hamas' "complete disarmament," calling it a crucial step toward establishing a new Palestinian governing authority in Gaza.
