Palestinian Islamic Jihad agrees to Board of Peace's proposed disarmament deal - report
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad has reportedly agreed to a US-proposed disarmament deal for Gaza.
- The deal, announced by President Trump's Board of Peace, includes complete disarmament of Hamas and other groups, followed by an IDF withdrawal.
- Hamas, however, reportedly began distributing personal weapons to members, contradicting the disarmament agreement.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has reportedly agreed to a disarmament deal proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, according to Saudi state-owned Al-Hadath, citing a source familiar with the matter. This agreement, announced by Trump on Thursday night, outlines the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups within the Gaza Strip. Following successful disarmament, the deal stipulates an eventual withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza.
After the IDF withdrawal, the International Stabilization Force (ISF) is expected to commence reconstruction efforts in cooperation with newly established civil forces. However, Israel has expressed criticism of the agreement, asserting that its implementation is contingent upon Hamas's disarmament as a prerequisite. This stance highlights a potential point of contention in the proposed plan.
Adding a layer of complexity, a Palestinian source told Israeli public broadcaster KAN News late Saturday night that Hamas will not disarm. This source further reported that Hamas has begun distributing individual weapons to its operatives in the Gaza Strip, ostensibly to ensure weapons remain with members under the guise of personal ownership. This action directly challenges the core tenets of the disarmament deal and suggests a potential divergence between the stated positions of different Palestinian factions.
Hamas will not disarm. Period.
Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.