President Donald Trump said Friday that Israel supports a newly announced Hamas disarmament agreement, describing it as a historic diplomatic achievement with potential to reshape the Middle East.
During a Cabinet meeting, Trump stated "We do have an understanding with Israel" When asked whether the United States had secured Israeli commitments to move forward with the agreement.
Trump characterized Israel as fully supportive of the initiative. "Israel is very happy about it. Israel helped us, and they've been very good," He said, adding, "Most people said that would be a deal that would be undoable. Will it go through its ups and downs? It's a very complex situation over there... But it's a great breakthrough. Nobody's ever thought that it would be be possible to disarm Hamas."
He called the development a milestone for the region, saying the agreement represents "a big step for the Middle East, and people are really impressed by it."
When asked who would take custody of Hamas's weapons, Trump answered: "The Board of Peace."
However, the Israeli government has not publicly endorsed the proposal. A senior Israeli diplomatic official said Thursday that Gaza was not discussed during this week's meeting between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Trump in Washington.
The official stated that Israel's position remains unchanged, requiring Hamas's complete military dismantling as a precondition for any political process. "Israel is demanding the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of all weapons from the Gaza Strip and the territory's full demilitarization, as a precondition for any process. The reported 15-point document does not provide an adequate response to these demands, and Israel has conveyed its reservations on the matter to envoy Tony Blair."
The official added that Israel will not withdraw from the Yellow Line in Gaza before Hamas is disarmed and the territory is fully demilitarized.