Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced that the Board of Peace has reached an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, describing it as a decisive step toward handing governance of the enclave to a new Palestinian administration.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the arrangement would allow Gaza to be run by a fresh Palestinian government working closely with the Board of Peace, while ensuring Israel’s security by preventing the territory from being used as a base for terror attacks.
According to Trump, the deal will be implemented in structured phases: as disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw and an International Stabilisation Force will work alongside a newly established Palestinian police force to take over security responsibilities in Gaza.
The US president credited Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye with brokering the agreement as mediators. As of Thursday evening, however, Hamas had not publicly confirmed the accord, and several international outlets reported they were seeking comment from the group.
Separately, the Israeli prime minister’s office released photographs of Benjamin Netanyahu meeting Trump, with an Israeli official describing the talks as “very positive”. A White House official said discussions were expected to cover the war with Iran, negotiations involving Lebanon and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords.
Netanyahu was also slated to present intelligence on alleged Iranian activity at “Pickaxe Mountain”, an underground facility linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme. Trump, however, appeared irritated that Netanyahu had publicly signalled his intention to do so, telling Fox News: “I heard Bibi announce that… Why don’t you just tell it to me? Why do you have to announce it to the world?”
The US president has indicated a preference for renewed diplomacy with Tehran, while Israel has pushed for sustained pressure on Iran.
(Inputs from IANS)