Group says implementation will depend on reciprocal commitments as negotiations move to next stage
GAZA/CAIRO: Senior Hamas officials say a proposed agreement to end the war in Gaza includes provisions for the group’s disarmament alongside a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory, according to statements made to AFP.
The officials spoke after US President Donald Trump announced that the Board of Peace had reached what he described as a historic agreement involving the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. The reported agreement has not yet been publicly confirmed in full by all parties.
A senior Hamas official told AFP that understandings had been reached regarding the group’s weapons and a phased Israeli military withdrawal. According to the official, Hamas expects mediators and the Board of Peace to ensure that Israel complies with the terms of the proposed agreement.
Disarmament tied to broader political framework
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s negotiating team, told AFP that the movement had made concessions to alleviate the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
He said the issue of Hamas’s weapons is linked to Israel’s withdrawal, the deployment of the National Committee for Administration of Gaza (NCAG) and reconstruction efforts. According to Hamad, the proposed framework envisions the NCAG cataloguing and storing weapons under an agreed timetable while becoming the only body authorised to retain and control them in Gaza.
Hamad added that implementation details would be negotiated with mediators over the coming days and could take at least two weeks to finalise.
Implementation depends on mutual compliance
Hamas officials said the proposed agreement requires reciprocal implementation, arguing that the group would proceed only if Israel fulfils its obligations.
Earlier this month, Hamas announced the dissolution of its administrative body that had governed Gaza, paving the way for the NCAG to assume civilian administrative responsibilities, according to the group.
The war in Gaza has caused widespread devastation and a severe humanitarian crisis. Casualty figures and legal characterisations of the conflict remain disputed, with Palestinian authorities reporting high civilian losses, while Israel has rejected allegations that it is committing genocide and says its military operations target Hamas and other armed groups.
The reported agreement remains subject to further negotiations and formal implementation by the parties involved.
