US President Donald Trump has said that his ‘Board of Peace’ has reached an agreement to disarm Palestinian group Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. Meanwhile, mediator Pakistan insists that negotiations between Iran and the United States are ongoing, even as Washington carried out a ‘heavy wave of strikes’ on its foe in retaliation for fresh attacks targeting Jordan. Follow our liveblog for all the latest updates.
Hamas officials say deal agreed on group’s arms, gradual Israel withdrawal from Gaza
Senior Hamas officials told Agence France-Presse on Friday that the agreement reached with Israel includes provisions addressing the group’s weapons and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
“An agreement has been reached regarding the issue of weapons… Furthermore, an agreement has been reached on a gradual withdrawal of (Israeli forces)” from the strip, a Hamas official said, adding that the Islamist movement now expects the mediators and the Board of Peace to ensure that Israel complies with the terms of the deal.
Cairo will host Gaza mediator meeting on phase two of ceasefire plan
Cairo is set to host a meeting “soon” of the Gaza truce mediators, which also include the United States, Qatar and Turkey, state-linked Al-Qahera News reported early Friday.
The news outlet, which is linked to the state intelligence services that manage Gaza negotiations, did not specify when the meeting would take place, but said that it would discuss implementing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan, a roadmap for which Hamas and Palestinian factions have agreed to.
Trump: Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza once disarmament is complete
The US president has said Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza after the disarmament of Hamas is complete, and that an International Stabilisation Force would work with a new Palestinian police force to take control of the strip.
“Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Trump announces agreement for ‘complete disarmament’ of Hamas
US President Donald Trump has said that his ‘Board of Peace’ has reached an agreement to disarm Palestinian group Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.
“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social website on Thursday. “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”
A US attack killed three people, including a two-year-old child, on Iran‘s Qeshm island, the Fars news agency reported after the US military said it wrapped up a heavy wave of strikes.
Jordan‘s military said Thursday that its air defences shot down five Iranian missiles targeting its territory, adding the attack caused no casualties. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards later confirmed launching an attack on Jordan’s Al Azraq air base, saying they targeted US aircraft there.
The US military said it struck dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets in Iran, including military command centres and drone facilities, in a two-hour operation launched after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East.
