Israel and Hamas have reached a major understanding aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip, senior Hamas officials told AFP on July 31. Under the arrangement, Hamas agreed to give up its weapons to protect Gaza’s residents, while Israeli forces would withdraw from the territory in stages. A ceasefire has been in effect since October, but Hamas’s disarmament had remained a major obstacle to progress, amid near-daily violence in Gaza.

Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad said the group adopted a flexible position to protect people from killing and displacement. He said the weapons issue is directly linked to an Israeli military withdrawal, deployment of a national committee and Gaza’s reconstruction. Hamas said Israel would have no role in disarmament, which would be handled solely by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

The committee is expected to oversee weapons inventories and their storage under a predetermined schedule, though it has not yet entered Gaza. US President Donald Trump said his Board of Peace had reached an understanding on disarming Hamas and other armed groups. Hamad warned that Hamas would not implement any part of the agreement if Israel failed to fulfill its commitments.