Hamas will honour Trump's Gaza peace deal if Israel withdraws forces, ends attacks, official says
Hamas officials have indicated they may honor a new Gaza peace deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, provided Israel withdraws its forces and ceases military operations. While Trump describes the agreement as a major milestone, Israeli officials maintain that any withdrawal is contingent upon the complete disarmament of Hamas.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in Middle East diplomacy, testing the viability of a new U.S.-led framework for ending the long-standing conflict in Gaza.
The comment came a day after what Trump called a "major milestone" towards ending the war in Gaza that he said would see the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups.
"It's a big step for the Middle East, and people are really impressed by it, and they're surprised by it," he said.
Trump's announcement on Thursday of the agreement by his Gaza Board of Peace followed months of faltering efforts to keep the ceasefire agreement reached last year in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on track, and it wasn't immediately clear how strongly either Hamas or Israel stood behind it.
Previous attempts to reach an agreement have foundered amid mutual suspicion and each side's insistence that the other must move first.
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