By Tom Howell Jr. (The Washington Times)
President Trump said Thursday that Middle East mediators reached an agreement to disarm Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Mr. Trump said the deal would result in the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, a strip of land between Egypt and Israel that’s been ravaged by war as Israel routed Hamas for its terror raid.
He said the process would be conducted in structured phases, after which Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.
The deal was mediated by Egypt, Qatar and Turkey and conducted through Mr. Trump’s Board of Peace, a multi-nation body set up to resolve global conflicts.
“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,” Mr. Trump said on social media. “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”
The war in Gaza resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and criticism of Israel’s government under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with protesters and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani labeling him a war criminal.
Mr. Trump crafted a 20-point plan to bring peace in Gaza and rebuild the strip over a period of years.
“The threat that emerged from Gaza on October 7 will NOT be allowed to rebuild!” Mr. Trump wrote. “Under this agreement, Gaza will finally be in the hands of a new Palestinian government that serves its PEOPLE.”
The breakthrough arrives against the backdrop of new fighting in the Middle East, as the U.S. and Iran wage war over control of the Strait of Hormuz and preventing the Tehran regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The war seemed to widen in recent days, roping in the Saudis and ports in Egypt.
Also, the Gaza deal was announced two days after Mr. Trump met with Mr. Netanyahu at the White House.
U.S. and Board of Peace officials described the deal as the result of an eight-month process to take Mr. Trump’s 20-point plan and turn it into a framework for a safe and rebuilt Gaza.
Hamas was reluctant to decommission its weapons and secret tunnels, fearing Israel would not follow through on its commitments, the officials said.
The officials said they worked to cut off funds to Hamas terrorists without hurting Palestinian people in Gaza who required aid.
Officials said Gazans would require aid in the near term, but the goal is to rebuild the strip and make it self-sufficient with education, health care and other services.
Mr. Trump said an International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to ensure security in Gaza.
U.S. officials said they hope to see progress in implementing the deal within a month or two. They expect Israel to agree to the terms because it mirrors a previous Trump plan to which the Israeli side consented.
If Israel does not comply with the terms, “obviously President Trump will be very, very disappointed,” an official said, adding: “This is not something [the Israelis] want to escalate as an issue right now.”
U.S. officials also do not think Iran, which has long sponsored Hamas, will spoil the deal, saying Tehran essentially “abandoned Hamas” some time ago.
This article was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times.
