Donald Trump announced a deal he called "historic" for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in the Gaza Strip. According to the US president, the agreement would pave the way for a new Palestinian administration, the withdrawal of Israeli forces once disarmament is complete, and the deployment of an international stabilization force. The agreement was later confirmed by Hamas, while US sources reported that Iran attempted until the last minute to convince the Islamist movement not to sign.

"Today, the Board of Peace reached a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting peace and security," Donald Trump wrote in Truth. "Once disarmament is complete, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to ensure the security of Gaza, for the benefit of its residents and neighboring countries," the tycoon added. The agreement, Trump wrote, "represents a critical step toward Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government, which will work closely with the Board of Peace to support the Palestinian people. At the same time, Israel will get the security it deserves, as Gaza will no longer be used as a base for terrorist attacks." A "milestone in the implementation of Trump's 20-Point Plan." The agreement, the US president continued, "will be implemented through carefully planned phases. Once disarmament is complete, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with the new Palestinian police force to ensure the security of Gaza, for the benefit of its residents and neighboring countries. Furthermore, a year ago, we were in the midst of a violent and devastating war, a humanitarian crisis, and hostages held in brutal conditions. We have made historic progress, but there is still much work to be done. In this regard, I want to thank the mediators—Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey—for their significant commitment, and especially my exceptional team, whose tireless work made this historic breakthrough possible. We will not allow the threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7th to resurface! Thanks to this agreement, Gaza will finally be entrusted to a new Palestinian government that serves its people. Finally, congratulations to everyone on this extraordinary achievement, which we all thought impossible to achieve!

For its part, Hamas confirmed the agreement reached with Israel for the second phase of the truce, which includes the disarmament of the Islamic movement governing the Gaza Strip. Two officials told AFP that the agreement has been reached, thus confirming US President Donald Trump's words.

Meanwhile, during a recent visit to Iran for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a Hamas delegation met with senior officials from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to a source familiar with the meeting cited by Axios. According to the source, Revolutionary Guard officials urged Hamas not to rush into signing the agreement and to play for time. A senior US official also claimed that Iran tried to persuade Hamas not to sign the agreement, but the group chose not to listen. "Iran would have preferred Hamas not to accept the agreement, but... Iran abandoned Hamas long ago," a US official was quoted as saying by the Times of Israel. They cannot afford to keep it going, and I think Hamas members realize they have to do what is best for themselves and the people,” the U.S. official said, adding that the offer of amnesty to Hamas members who agree to hand over their weapons and adhere to Trump’s 20-point plan, contained in the disarmament proposal, was a key selling point for the terrorist group.

“Iran tried to convince them not to accept this deal, but we eventually managed to overcome that obstacle,” the US official added.

(Unioneonline/D)

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