DOHA: Hamas on Tuesday called for clarifications from US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, voicing “unease” over comments it made regarding the group’s prospective disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal in Gaza.
The Palestinian Islamist movement said on Friday that it had agreed to hand over its weapons, with the Board of Peace publishing a roadmap including provisions for the group’s gradual disarmament and a “phased Israeli withdrawal” from Gaza.
But Israel had remained defiant against a pullout without the prior completion of verifiable disarmament by Hamas.
Following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the Board of Peace appeared to reassure Israel, saying that the withdrawal of the country’s forces from its current positions in Gaza would only begin once Hamas completely disarmed.
A Hamas official said Tuesday that Hamas and other Palestinian factions “are uneasy with the statement issued by (Nickolay) Mladenov after his meeting with Netanyahu,” referring to the high representative for Gaza under the Board of Peace.
