Trump Announces Gaza Deal as Hamas Disarmament and Israeli Withdrawal Remain in Dispute
US President Donald Trump has announced what he described as an agreement to end the war in Gaza, but serious disagreements between Israel and Hamas appear to threaten the proposed arrangement.
Trump said the plan would be implemented in stages, with Hamas expected to give up its weapons before Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.
He also said an International Stabilization Force, working alongside a new Palestinian police force, would eventually take responsibility for security in the territory.
According to Trump, the process would move forward gradually, with Israeli troops pulling back as Hamas completes the disarmament requirements.
However, Hamas has already raised objections over the timing of the proposed disarmament.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of the group’s negotiating team, told Al Jazeera that Hamas would not surrender its weapons before Israeli forces leave Gaza.
An Israeli official, meanwhile, said the terms being discussed did not meet Israel’s expectations.
The official said Israel was demanding the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the full demilitarisation of the territory, before any further political or security process could begin.
The latest development comes about nine months after a US-backed ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas.
Talks on the next stage of the agreement later stalled, particularly over Hamas’ weapons and plans for rebuilding Gaza.
While negotiations continue, the wider conflict between the United States and Iran is also intensifying.
Iranian forces launched drone attacks on US military facilities at Ahmad Al Jaber airbase in Kuwait on Friday, according to Iranian state media. The strikes were described as retaliation for recent US attacks on Iranian targets, including a strike on a home in Qeshm.
Tensions are also rising in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing for a major military campaign against the Houthis.
Yemeni sources said the operation could involve naval forces and potentially ground troops as Riyadh seeks to reopen secure routes for oil shipments through the southern Red Sea.
The widening conflict is already affecting international shipping.
Kpler shipping data showed that 25 commercial vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Thursday, while only two tankers travelled through the Strait of Hormuz, reflecting the disruption caused by the fighting.
The turmoil has also affected the global oil industry. Six major European oil companies recorded combined first-quarter profits of about $22 billion, representing a 43 per cent increase from the same period last year, according to Global Witness.
Analysts expect other major energy companies to report substantial earnings as instability continues to affect petroleum supplies.
Saudi Arabia also announced on Thursday that it had formed a 14-country maritime security alliance aimed at protecting shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb.
Elsewhere, an Iranian strike reportedly damaged a building belonging to a Chinese company in Kuwait, killing one worker.
Kuwait’s military said the incident occurred on Thursday, while Jordanian air defences separately intercepted five missiles fired from Iran.
Egypt has also become increasingly concerned about the spread of the conflict. Authorities are investigating fragments recovered after a drone strike hit one of the country’s ports.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has warned that the continuing attacks could push the region towards a broader conflict.
Egyptian authorities had earlier confirmed that a fire involving two gas vessels at the port of Damietta was caused by a drone attack.
One of the vessels was owned by a US company, making the incident the first reported strike of its kind against Egypt since the latest regional war began.
As diplomatic efforts continue, the proposed Gaza agreement remains uncertain, with Hamas and Israel still divided over one of its most crucial conditions: whether disarmament should come before or after Israel’s military withdrawal.
