Middle East crisis live: Hamas will hand over weapons to new Gaza administration, says official, but deal depends on Israeli withdrawal | US-Israel war on Iran
Hamas official says group will hand over weapons to new Gaza administration – Reuters
In further comments to Reuters, Ghazi Hamad said Hamas will hand over its weapons to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a new body established by the Board of Peace to oversee day-to-day affairs in the Palestinian territory.
He said disarmament will be contingent on the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and that the NCAG and international force must enter Gaza and dismantle Israeli-backed militias.
Key events
Tom Ambrose
US president Donald Trump will convene a cabinet meeting later today at his Camp David retreat as he grapples with how to resolve his war against Iran.
He will also be keen to find a way to bring down gasoline prices as the Republicans head into the November midterm elections.
This will be only his third trip to Camp David during his second term, with Trump largely having stayed away from the mountaintop presidential retreat in western Maryland.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing last week that this would be the 13th Cabinet meeting of Trump’s second term and that it would be “a lot of fun and something different for the cabinet to experience together”.
For the latest news on US politics, follow our live blog here:
Trump’s Board of Peace publishes roadmap for implementing Gaza ceasefire plan
Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has issued a statement on X with more details on its roadmap for implementing the Gaza ceasefire plan. Here are the main points:
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All parties reaffirm their commitment to end the violence in Gaza, secure the “complete” withdrawal of Israeli troops and allow “a credible political path that achieves self-determination and statehood” for Palestinians.
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Both Israel and Hamas will, “without delay”, end all military operations in Gaza. Once this is done and a timetable is set, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) will enter the Strip and assume responsibility for its governance.
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Progression from one phase to the following one is contingent upon the completion of all previous phases.
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Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed that all civilian governance and security will be handed over to NCAG. They have also agreed that NCAG will “enjoy full independence in carrying out its responsibilities” without interference from Palestinian factions.
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Upon fulling assuming power in Gaza, NCAG will ensure the continuation of civilian institutions and public services.
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Gaza will be governed according to the principle of: “One Authority, One Law, One Weapon”.
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All police personnel will undergo comprehensive vetting, and those who do not meet required standards will be offered alternative civilian roles or retirement. New police personnel will be incorporated into the existing police force.
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Authorities will begin decommissioning heavy weapons, military production sites, depots of weapons and tunnels.
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A temporary International Stabilisation Force (ISF) will be deployed to separate Israeli forces from NCAG-controlled areas. The ISF will also be responsible for monitoring ceasefire compliance, training the Palestinian police, and delivering humanitarian support and supplies into Gaza.
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Israeli forces will complete their phased withdrawal from Gaza Strip. The peace plan includes a commitment from Israel not to force anyone to leave the Strip.
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NCAG will be responsible for handling internal security incidents.
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The reconstruction of Gaza will be supervised by the Board of Peace and NCAG “in accordance with relevant laws and international standards”.
Here are some of the latest images on the newswires from Gaza, as the world awaits Israel’s response to the deal for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from the Palestinian territory:
Hamas demands end to Israeli strikes in Gaza
Reuters has issued a news alert quoting the latest comments from Hamas, reporting the group as saying “the first step in executing the agreement is Israel’s commitment to stop killing and end violations”.
It is likely referring to the near daily Israeli strikes on Gaza since the US-brokered ceasefire was announced in October (including this morning, see post at 10:16), which has killed more than 1,200 Palestinians and injured 3,900 since.
Hamas also repeated its earlier statement that “handing over heavy weapons is also conditional on Israel ending hostilities and withdrawal from Gaza”, Reuters reported.
Italy’s defence minister has rejected opposition criticism over the deployment of troops and military assets to the Gulf region, saying the mission’s framework had been fully disclosed to parliament.
According to the defence ministry’s website, around 400 Italian air force personnel have been deployed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain since March, after Tehran had targeted those nations in the wake of US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
The contingent includes four Eurofighter jets tasked with helping defend assigned airspace, but the ministry has not disclosed full operational details.
Kuwaiti forces destroyed Iranian drones targeting “vital and military facilities”, the defence ministry said on Friday.
“The hostile targets were engaged and destroyed. This resulted in material damage due to falling shrapnel, without any human casualties being recorded,” it said in a statement.
Summary of developments so far
If you’re just joining us, here are the main developments:
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Donald Trump has claimed a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza. Senior Hamas officials have reportedly agreed to the plan, but the question of whether the group disarms before or after Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza has emerged as a point of contention.
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Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas official involved in the negotiations, said Hamas will hand over its weapons to the new Gaza administration but only if Israel holds up its end of the bargain. Speaking to Reuters, Hamad said disarmament will be contingent on the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and that the NCAG and international force must enter Gaza and dismantle Israeli-backed militias.
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Israel must approve the phased disarmament agreement before Hamas will implement it, Hamad added. Once both sides approve the agreement text, Israel must begin implementing the agreement’s first phase, he said.
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The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the interim body to which Hamas has offered to hand governing authority to, said it is ready to “assume its responsibilities” in the Palestinian territory. It said it has “completed extensive institutional and operational preparations to take over the administration of the Strip”. Since its inception in January by Trump’s Board of Peace, the NCAG has been unable to enter Gaza largely due to Israeli objections.
Read the full report here:
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Just hours after Trump’s announcement, several Palestinians were wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza this morning, according to local health officials.
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Elsewhere, Lebanese media reported “massive explosions” overnight in southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces say they have blasted an underground tunnel network belonging to Hezbollah. Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported explosions in Yahmar al-Shaqif, Arnoun and Kfar Tebnit, all areas close to the Beaufort Ridge that is occupied by the Israeli military.
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Also today, a man suspected of spying on a UK military base for Iran has been arrested in Cyprus, the Metropolitan police said. Rashad Sultanov, 44, a dual British-Azerbaijani national from Islington in north London, was arrested on 17 July by Cypriot authorities after he allegedly conducted “hostile surveillance” of RAF Akrotiri and shared information with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
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The IRGC said it struck two tankers under US “air escort” that attempted to pass the strait of Hormuz, according to state media. It added that four other tankers “swiftly changed course” and returned to their previous location, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and US president, Donald Trump, have reportedly discussed the possibility of imposing a land blockade on Iran, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper, citing a senior Israeli official, reported the pair were looking at ways to ramp up economic pressure against Iran “through kinetic and non-kinetic means”. The discussion reportedly took place on Tuesday when the two leaders met in Washington.
The land blockade would require Iran’s neighbours to restrict or close border crossings, with the aim of affecting Tehran’s exports and imports, the newspaper reported.
“What if you just blocked the land? Suppose Iran can’t bring anything in and cannot take anything out. Anything will happen,” the official said of the reported plan.
IRGC says it struck two tankers under US ‘air escort’ in the strait of Hormuz
Back to the US-Israeli war on Iran, the IRGC said it struck two tankers under US “air escort” that attempted to pass the strait of Hormuz, according to state media.
In a statement carried by Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, the IRGC said:
In the early hours of today, two rogue tankers, under the mistaken belief they could pass [the strait of Hormuz] under the air escort of the child-killing US military, disregarded our warnings and proceeded along an unsafe and illegal path, whereupon they were struck and brought to a halt.
It added that four other tankers “swiftly changed course” and returned to their previous location.
The US military did not immediately comment on the claim.
Iran has effective control of the strait of Hormuz, which has largely remained shut to maritime traffic since the start of the war on 28 February.
Patrick Wintour
In other news, Saudi Arabia is preparing for a major military offensive against the Houthis by sea and possibly by land in central Yemen, Yemeni sources believe, in a move to break the chokehold on its oil exports through the southern Red Sea.
Saudi forces have been seen withdrawing from the east of Yemen in what could be preparation for a land offensive. At the same time, Riyadh is trying to organise a naval coalition to protect shipping from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The Saudi defence ministry said on Thursday that 14 states including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti had issued a joint statement supporting a multinational maritime defence coalition.
The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, and much of its Red Sea coastline, announced on 20 July that they were implementing a blockade against Saudi ships, but they have denied they are planning to impose tolls on all ships.
Read more:
US-backed administration says its ready to govern Gaza
The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), the interim body to which Hamas has offered to hand governing authority to, said it is ready to “assume its responsibilities” in the Palestinian territory.
Its statement followed Donald Trump’s announcement last night that Hamas has agreed to disarm as part of the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreed in October.
The NCAG, established in January by Trump’s Board of Peace and based in Cairo, Egypt, has been unable to enter Gaza largely due to Israeli objections. The group is made up of 15 Palestinian technocrats and is led by Ali Shaath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.
In a statement on X, the NCAG said:
The National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) welcomes the progress announced yesterday regarding the roadmap, and the opening of a path toward beginning its implementation.
This development represents an important milestone for our people in the Gaza Strip. After years of conflict, destruction, and uncertainty, the priority today is to translate this progress into practical steps that have a tangible impact on citizens’ daily lives.
The NCAG affirms its full readiness to assume its responsibilities. Over the past months, it has completed extensive institutional and operational preparations to take over the administration of the Strip, restore essential public services, strengthen the rule of law, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and lead recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Palestinians injured in Israeli airstrike on Gaza hours after Hamas disarmament deal announced – Reuters
Several Palestinians have been wounded in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza this morning, just hours after US president Donald Trump announced a deal on Hamas disarmament, Reuters reported, citing local health officials.
We will bring you more as we get it.
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