Israel launched new airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Friday, local officials reported, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced what he described as a "historic" phased disarmament agreement with Hamas. Medics in Gaza stated that several Palestinians were injured in the renewed strikes, according to Times of Israel.
Earlier on Thursday, at least four people, including an 8-year-old girl and an 18-month-old baby, were killed in Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to reports.
Trump announced Thursday that talks in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders had resulted in a phased disarmament agreement. "Today, the Board of Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza," Trump stated in a social media post, adding that the disarmament would occur in phases and was a "monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY."
He also stated that the agreement was a critical step toward Gaza being governed by a new Palestinian government that would work closely with the Board of Peace, and that "Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks."
However, a Hamas official described the deal as a draft. A Hamas source told Reuters that the "draft agreement" stipulates that heavy weapons would only be stored and kept under the control of a Palestinian administration, and these weapons cannot be transferred to Israel. Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas negotiating team, told Al Jazeera that Hamas would not take any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel's withdrawal from the Strip.
A U.S. official told reporters on Thursday that Israel is "very skeptical that Hamas will disarm," but expressed confidence that Hamas would adhere to the agreement, adding that "If they don't, obviously President Trump would be very, very disappointed."
Questions also arose regarding the timeline for the disarmament process. An official from the Board of Peace estimated the process could take between 200 to 320 days, a timeline a U.S. official downplayed.
Prior to Trump's announcement, an Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that Israel had rejected a proposal. "Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarization of the Strip as a precondition for any process," the official said earlier on Thursday. "The 15-point document in question does not provide a satisfactory response to these demands, and Israel conveyed its objections."