Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said on Friday that a deal he announced to bring peace to Gaza was a “great breakthrough”, although Hamas and Israel indicated that significant obstacles remained before it could be implemented.
Trump said the proposal marked a major step for the Middle East after months of unsuccessful efforts to preserve a ceasefire agreement reached last year.
Implementation conditions
Trump’s announcement followed months of faltering attempts to maintain the ceasefire agreement reached in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. The agreement envisaged a phased end to military operations and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
A senior Hamas official involved in the negotiations told Reuters that implementation would depend on Israel first meeting its commitments under the Sharm el Sheikh agreement.
An Israeli official said Israel’s position remained that there would be no withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from the current Yellow Line unless Hamas underwent what it described as genuine disarmament. The Yellow Line is a military demarcation line established under the ceasefire.
Trump’s comments
Trump said the agreement would lead to the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups.
“It’s a big step for the Middle East, and people are really impressed by it, and they’re surprised by it,” he said.
Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday and said Israel was “very happy” with the agreement.
“Israel helped us, and they’ve been very good,” he said. “Will it go through its ups and downs? It’s a very complex situation over there.”