Palestinians salvage their belongings from the rubble of a building and tents destroyed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, Thursday, July 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
BEIRUT (AP) — Carrying out this week’s agreement for Gaza on the disarmament of the Palestinian group Hamas, Israel’s withdrawal and the transition to a civilian body to run the war-ravaged region will be a major test for the international body established by U.S. President Donald Trump to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza.
The agreement announced by Trump late Thursday could pave the way for ending the latest Israel-Hamas war that broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including hundreds who perished after a ceasefire went into effect in Oct. 10.
Few places in the Palestinian territory of over 2 million people have been left unscathed, and the United Nations, World Bank and European Union estimate that reconstruction will cost $70 billion.
Hamas officials said the group has agreed to the disarmament agreement. Israel has not commented.
