Hamas, a key component of a regional network of militant groups allied with Iran – which the United States has designated as a terrorist organisation – has confirmed that it has agreed to a deal providing for its disarmament, the handover of weapons to the Palestinian leadership committee and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
On 30 July, US President Donald Trump announced that the Peace Council, established by his administration, had reached an agreement on the ‘complete disarmament’ of “Hamas” and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip, calling it a breakthrough that could pave the way for the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the establishment of a new Palestinian administration.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the agreement was “a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government”, which would work alongside the Peace Council. “This is a monumental step towards lasting peace and security,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Iran has provided financial, operational and diplomatic support to Hamas, which is regarded as part of its so-called Axis of Resistance against the United States and Israel. Washington has made the neutralisation of Tehran’s regional network of proxy forces one of its objectives during the current war with Iran.
Israel has not yet commented on the announcement of the deal, but shortly before this, an Israeli political source told AFP that the proposed agreement did not fully meet Israel’s demands for the complete demilitarisation of the Gaza Strip.
The source also stated that “the issue of Gaza was not raised at all” during the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump in Washington this week.
Hamas representatives expressed their expectation that the mediators and the Peace Council would ensure Israel’s compliance with the terms of the agreement.
At a briefing following Trump’s announcement, US officials and some representatives of the Peace Council stated that they had spent eight months negotiating a ‘detailed roadmap’, under which Hamas would dismantle its military infrastructure, relinquish control of Gaza and transfer authority to a newly established National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
The Peace Council, established by Trump and formally launched in January, is an international coalition of leaders seeking to achieve lasting peace and reconstruction in Gaza.