Connect with us

Latest News

Hamas reaches Gaza disarmament agreement with Board of Peace

Published

on

Palestinians run for cover as smoke and fire rise during an Israeli strike on the the Al-Muttaqin Mosque in Gaza City on July 28, 2026 [Aljazeera]

Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed to a document setting out a plan for their disarmament in Gaza, in what United States President Donald Trump has called “a monumental step” towards peace and security.

Al Jazeera has received a copy of Thursday’s agreement, which stipulates that the precise disarmament roadmap must be prepared within 14 days, with possible extensions subject to the approval of an international verification body, and the agreement of all parties.

“These negotiations were difficult and hard, and we tried to reach the best possible formula that was achievable,” Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s negotiating delegation, told Al Jazeera.

However, Hamad said that Hamas would not implement any part of the agreement if Israeli forces failed to fulfil their obligations. The official said disarmament depended on Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and progress on reconstruction in the Palestinian territory.

There has been no comment yet from Israel.

Trump framed the agreement as a success for the Board of Peace, the body established to oversee Gaza’s governance.

“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 his Truth Social platform on Thursday. “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”

The copy of the agreement obtained by Al Jazeera says that the disarmament process will begin with the entry of a National Committee and the International Stabilisation Force to Gaza. The National Committee will then oversee the “inventory and storage” process, with the international verification committee observing, and the Palestinian factions participating.

The disarmament process is also tied to the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. It also adds that no weapons should be handed over to Israel or any non-Palestinian body, and that the National Committee be the sole force holding on to the weapons in Gaza.

A Board of Peace official confirmed that Hamas and other armed factions would hand over their weapons to a National Committee set to administer Gaza. The official said weapons held by the police would be transferred first, followed by the decommissioning of heavy weapons. All military activity in Gaza would have to stop under the plan, though the official said the process will take time to implement.

Trump framed the disarmament – which he said would take place in phases – as part of the “ceasefire” deal he brokered in October to end Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians and devastated the Palestinian enclave.

Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, killing more than 1,200 Palestinians since it came into effect, seizing more territory, and continuing to restrict the movement of people and goods into and out of Gaza. Six more Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza on Thursday, including two children.

Trump said Israel would withdraw from Gaza and be replaced by an International Stabilization Force working with a “new Palestinian police force” once disarmament was complete.

“Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE,” Trump added.

Hamas leaders have been in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, since late last week discussing the ceasefire deal with mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye. An unnamed Hamas official was quoted earlier on Thursday as saying that the talks were “positive” and “making progress”.

Egypt will soon host more talks in Cairo involving mediators from Egypt, the US, Qatar and Turkiye to secure commitments to the second phase of the ceasefire roadmap, according to Egypt’s A-Qahera News. The broadcaster, citing an informed Egyptian source, said Hamas and other Palestinian factions had officially approved the proposal, which includes the deployment of international forces and the start of work by the National Committee.

However, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another armed group in Gaza, said reports of an agreement between the factions and Israel were inaccurate, adding that it had reservations about the wording being circulated.

Hamas had announced on July 6 the dissolution of the body it led that had governed Gaza for nearly two decades.

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from Washington, DC, said that the arrangement would see Hamas and other groups disarm sector by sector, followed by the recruitment of more Palestinian police officers.

“The Palestinian police will be working in association with an international coordination force, the makeup of which has yet to be cleared, but we’ve heard rumours that it could involve the Indonesians and possibly even the Turks, something the Israelis might not be keen on,” Fisher said.

Fisher said there were some obstacles to getting all sides to sign the agreement, but it was made clear things would get a lot more difficult for Hamas financially if it did not approve the deal.

“There was definitely international pressure on Hamas to accept this,” Fisher said.

Nidal Abu Zaid, a military analyst, told Al Jazeera that the focus of the agreement on the phrase “inventory and storage” was subtly different to “disarmament”.

“From a military standpoint… Inventory and storage is carried out by a third party, but that party does not need to be an enemy force,” Abu Zaid said. “But disarmament is carried out by an enemy force, and [the Palestinian factions] will never agree to that disarmament.”

Earlier, a US official told reporters that there was much Israeli criticism when Turkiye and Qatar were invited to join the Board of Peace, but that the agreement had proven that including the countries was the right decision.

“I think, right now, there is finally an alternative to the PA [Palestinian Authority] and Hamas”, which is a “technocratic, apolitical government that is really looking to do this for the benefit of the people”, he said.

[Aljazeera]



Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Mexico’s Pacific coast braces for Hurricane Polo

Published

on

By

Lifeguards raised red flags on the beaches of Baja California Sur to alert holidaymakers of the hazardous sea conditions (BBC)

People living on the northern Pacific coast of Mexico are bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Polo, which is forecast to make landfall later on Monday or early on Tuesday.

The category three storm, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph (185 km/h), is expected to move over the state of Baja California Sur, a region popular with tourists and home to the resort destination of Los Cabos.

Meteorologists at the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) have warned of heavy rainfall which could lead to life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain.

Residents on Sunday stocked up on essentials such as drinking water and food as the storm approached.

The NHC warned of the storm surge Hurricane Polo could unleash, which it said could be accompanied by large and destructive waves.

In Cabo San Lucas, famous for its natural rock arch, the authorities restricted access to the beaches. Some restaurants also closed in the town, which acts as a base for sport fishers and whale watchers.

ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP via Getty Images View of the rock formation called "The Arch" in Los Cabos, Baja California state, Mexico on February 21, 2024. The rock formation is photographed against a deep blue sky and in the turquoise waters small boats carrying tourists can be seen criss-crossing the waters around the arch.
The Arch was created by the tides and the erosion of the wind over thousands of years (BBC)

The regional government of Baja California Sur has ordered schools to remain closed on Monday as a preventive measure.

Governor Víctor Manuel Castro Cosío said temporary shelters had been opened should residents need to be evacuated.

The federal authorities have also deployed thousands of members of the navy and the army along with specialised machinery.

Polo has been slowly moving towards Mexico’s coast line.

Meteorologists said it was being fuelled by extremely warm waters caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon.

(BBC)

Continue Reading

Foreign News

‘Still a lockdown’: Deadly floods hit Nepal tourism as peak season begins

Published

on

By

Tourism attracts thousands of international travellers, accounting for nearly 8 percent of Nepal's GDP [JAl Jazeera]

Like every year, Pushpraj Rimal, a tour planner and taxi driver in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, was looking forward to September for his business to boom.

But what he got instead was a series of cancellations by tourists after catastrophic floods last month killed more than 1,450 people and destroyed key highways, deeply impacting the Himalayan nation heavily dependent on tourism.

“It is still a lockdown kind of situation,” the 42-year-old told Al Jazeera nearly a month after the disaster.

Pushpraj, who speaks Nepali and Hindi, works on commission for several hotels and trekking companies in Kathmandu and the scenic town of Pokhara, known for its lake nestled in the Annapurna mountain range. Pokhara also serves as a base for Himalayan trekkers.

Nepal’s tourist season peaks after the monsoon ends in August and the skies are clearer. Tourism attracts thousands of international travellers, accounting for nearly 8 percent of Nepal’s gross domestic product and employs more than 1 million people.

Last year, Nepal saw more than 1.15 million tourists visiting the country, nearly a third of them during the September-November season.

But the floods this year, triggered by a glacial mountain collapse  along the Nepal-Tibet border in the north, have pushed tourists away from the unaffected areas as well.

“I had rented two cars for two months, but I have done one fourth of the business I usually do in a season. Tourists generally start pouring in from September, but most of them have cancelled this year,” he said.

“I will get no commissions from the hotels or trek organisers, nor has the taxi business worked well. … I am now waiting for the season to end.”

Rimal has two children, Hema, 14, and Rahul, 12, whom he had promised a tablet this Dussain, a prominent Hindu festival that usually falls in October. “But it seems impossible now. I will have to break their hearts and my promise to them for the very first time.”

(Aljazeera)

Continue Reading

Latest News

Tharanga wins highly anticipated Asian Games gold ‎

Published

on

By

‎World javelin leader Rumesh Tharanga lived up to his reputation to win Sri Lanka a highly anticipated gold medal, beating wet weather and track conditions at the Asia Games in Nagoya Japan a little while ago.

‎He took the lead with a massive 88.33 metres effort in his penultimate throw before sealing the contest with 88.55 metres throw.

‎He beat a strong field inclusive of reigning Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem of Pakistan. (Reemus Fernando)

Continue Reading

Trending