Trump Claims Hamas Has Agreed to “Complete Disarmament” in Gaza, But Major Questions Remain

President Trump announced that Hamas and other armed groups have agreed to a roadmap to disarm. On Thursday, Trump wrote, “Today the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza.” As part of the deal, Trump said Israel will also gradually withdraw from Gaza, but Israel has not publicly said it has agreed to the plan. Meanwhile, Hamas officials said that any weapon handover would only occur after Israel withdraws its forces, ceases its attacks and allows humanitarian aid into the enclave. Displaced residents in Gaza expressed doubt that Israel would withdraw its troops. Samir Ayad: “I call on Mr. Trump, the president of the United States, to pressure Israel to withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip, so that we can live a dignified life and return to our homes, and also in the reconstruction, to speed up the reconstruction for the people, because we have been suffering for three years. We are living in tents.” Israel has killed more than 1,200 people in Gaza since the so-called ceasefire went into effect 10 months ago. Earlier this week, Doctors Without Borders said, “This is not a ceasefire. It is a continuation of the genocide, calibrated to be violent enough to keep Palestinians suffering every day, yet silent enough to avoid stirring international outrage.” www.democracynow.org