Hamas: Israel Must Honor Prior Deal Before Disarmament
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- Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official involved in the negotiations, said the Trump-announced disarmament deal is contingent on Israel first meeting its commitments from last year's Sharm el-Sheikh agreement.
- Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that his "Board of Peace" had reached an agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, calling it a "major milestone."
- Hamad described the deal as a "comprehensive framework" going beyond disarmament and said Hamas would hand over weapons only to the new National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the technocratic body set up to run the enclave.
- Under the prior agreement, Israel was obligated to end attacks on Gaza, withdraw forces to their October positions, and increase the flow of goods and aid into the territory.
- An Israeli official countered that Israel will not withdraw behind the so-called Yellow Line until Hamas is disarmed and Gaza is fully demilitarized.
Why it matters: The positions create a direct chicken-and-egg standoff: Hamas demands Israel honor prior commitments (attack cessation, troop withdrawal to October lines, increased aid) before disarming, while Israel insists on full disarmament before any further withdrawal behind the Yellow Line. Trump's "major milestone" framing immediately collided with mutual preconditions that could stall the Gaza peace process before the deal's first phase begins.
