Key facts
- Hamas has agreed to disarm as part of a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
- The agreement includes Israel ending strikes and withdrawing from Gaza.
- UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband welcomed the deal and called for full implementation of a 20-point plan.
- Hamas's disarmament of heavy weapons is conditional on the creation of a Palestinian state.
- The deal involves the transfer of Hamas weapons to a U.S.-backed Palestinian committee.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has welcomed an announcement that Hamas has agreed to disarm as part of a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement, which also requires Israel to end its strikes and withdraw from Gaza, is seen as a potential breakthrough in ending the war, though significant implementation challenges remain.
Miliband stated that the focus must now be on fully implementing a 20-point plan, which includes the withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza and respect for the ceasefire by all parties. He also noted that conditions in Gaza remain "appalling" and that Israel must immediately end restrictions on aid.
Hamas has indicated that laying down its heavy weapons is contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, a condition that Israel's current government adamantly rejects. Israel has not officially commented on the deal, which is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced last October. That earlier agreement called for Hamas to disarm, hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration, and for Israel to withdraw, with an International Stabilization Force to deploy.
Progress had stalled, with Israel insisting on Hamas disarming and Hamas accusing Israel of violating the agreement through continued strikes. Disarming would represent a significant shift for Hamas, whose charter calls for armed resistance. The deal, to be implemented in phases, involves Hamas transferring weapons held by its police force to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza upon its arrival. A process for decommissioning heavy weapons, military production sites, and tunnels will commence after the arrival of the Palestinian committee and international forces, linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal. Israel currently controls about 60% of Gaza.
Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, expressed skepticism, emphasizing the need to verify Hamas's actions rather than just their words, and stated that disarmament means weapons are out of Gaza and Hamas no longer controls them. He also noted that a Palestinian state is not currently being discussed in Israel due to security concerns.