Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed to a plan outlining the group's disarmament in Gaza, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced what he called a "monumental" step toward peace. Israel had not commented on the proposal by Friday.
Al Jazeera said it had obtained a copy of the agreement, which requires a detailed disarmament roadmap to be prepared within 14 days, with any extension subject to approval by an international verification body and 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.
Hamad said Hamas would not implement the agreement unless Israel fulfilled its commitments. He said the group's disarmament depended on a gradual Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and progress on reconstruction.
Trump said the agreement was reached under the Board of Peace, the body overseeing Gaza's post-war 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 Truth Social. "At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks."
According to the agreement, the disarmament process will begin with the deployment of a National Committee and an International Stabilisation Force to Gaza. The National Committee will oversee the inventory and storage of weapons under international monitoring, with Palestinian factions participating.
The plan links disarmament to the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. It states that weapons will not be handed over to Israel or any non-Palestinian authority and that the National Committee will become the sole body responsible for weapons in the territory.
A Board of Peace official said Hamas and other armed groups would first transfer police-held weapons before decommissioning heavy weapons. The official said all military activity in Gaza would cease under the plan, although implementation would take time.
Trump said Israel would withdraw from Gaza after disarmament was completed, with an International Stabilization Force and a new Palestinian police force taking over security responsibilities.
Hamas leaders have been holding talks in Cairo with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Egypt's state-linked Al-Qahera News reported that Cairo would soon host another round of talks on implementing the second phase of the ceasefire roadmap.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad said reports of a final agreement between Palestinian factions and Israel were inaccurate and expressed reservations about parts of the proposal.
Al Jazeera quoted military analyst Nidal Abu Zaid as saying the agreement's reference to "inventory and storage" of weapons differed from full disarmament, suggesting Palestinian factions could accept international supervision without surrendering arms directly to Israel.
Source: BBC/ Al Jazeera
