Gaza peace deal moves ahead with disarmament

CAIRO/WASHINGTON — Hamas and Palestinian factions have agreed on a plan to implement the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including a gradual process for inventorying and storing their weapons, Egypt's state TV reported on Friday.

The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza would oversee and implement the gradual and sequential process of inventorying and storing the weapons, the report said, citing an informed Egyptian source.

The start of the weapons inventory process would be linked to the committee's entry into the Gaza Strip and the deployment of the International Stabilization Force, it added.

The agreement also includes the committee's entry into Gaza, the deployment of international forces and early recovery efforts in the enclave, the source said.

Hamas and the Palestinian factions had informed the mediators of their approval of the plan, while a meeting involving the mediators would be held soon in Cairo to reaffirm all parties' commitment to implementing the agreement, the broadcaster added.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said in a statement posted on his Truth Social platform that the so-called Board of Peace had reached a "historic agreement" on the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.

The agreement will be carried out in structured phases, according to Trump, who noted that once disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza's security.

Israel has not commented on the deal by the time of press. In a statement on Thursday, an Israeli official said on condition of anonymity that there will be no Israeli withdrawal from the areas it holds in Gaza before the militant group is disarmed and the strip demilitarized, The Associated Press reported.

A person with knowledge of the situation said Israel is fully involved, but it is not a signatory to the deal, which is between Hamas and several countries helping to negotiate and guarantee the ceasefire.

Despite the deal, several Palestinians were wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, medics in the strip said.

The latest development came amid talks in Cairo involving a Hamas delegation, representatives of other Palestinian factions and mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkiye, Egyptian media reported.

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