Hamas reaches Gaza disarmament agreement with Trump's Board of Peace

Hamas and other Palestinian factions have agreed to a document setting out a plan for their disarmament in Gaza, in what United States President Donald Trump has called 'a monumental step' towards peace and security. Al Jazeera has received a copy of Thursday's agreement, which stipulates that the precise disarmament roadmap must be prepared within 14 days, with possible extensions subject to the approval of an international verification body, and the agreement of all parties. 'These negotiations were difficult and hard, and we tried to reach the best possible formula that was achievable,' Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas's negotiating delegation, told Al Jazeera. However, Hamad said that Hamas would not implement any part of the agreement if Israeli forces failed to fulfil their obligations. The official said disarmament depended on Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and progress on reconstruction in the Palestinian territory. There has been no comment yet from Israel. However, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another armed group in Gaza, said reports of an agreement between the factions and Israel were inaccurate, adding that it had reservations about the wording being circulated. Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, said it 'took months of very difficult negotiations' for the agreement to be reached. 'Implementation and verification have to be real,' Mladenov said. 'Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning.'