A senior Hamas official stated that the implementation of a Gaza peace deal, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, is contingent upon Israel fulfilling its obligations from a previous agreement.
Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official involved in negotiations, described the announced agreement as a "comprehensive framework" that extends beyond the sole issue of disarmament. He specified that its execution depends on Israel first implementing the initial phase of an accord finalized last year in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
Hamad elaborated that under the prior agreement, Israel was obligated to cease its military actions in Gaza, withdraw its forces to their October positions, and increase the volume of goods and aid entering the territory. He indicated that only after these conditions are met would Hamas agree to surrender its weapons to the newly established National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic body tasked with governing the enclave.
"We insisted to the mediators that Israel must abide by the agreement," Hamad stated, underscoring Hamas's position. This comes as an Israeli official remarked on Thursday that Israel would not consent to a withdrawal behind the established "Yellow Line" before Hamas is disarmed and the Gaza Strip is demilitarized.
