Historic Agreement for Gaza: Arms in Exchange for Troop Withdrawal

Hamas and Palestinian factions have approved a new draft agreement that provides for the gradual and phased inventory and storage of resistance groups' arms in the Gaza Strip.The agreement treats the arms issue as part of a comprehensive peace plan and as one of the elements leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state. US President Donald Trump described the text as a “historic breakthrough”.According to the draft, the inventory, storage, and control of arms in Gaza will be entrusted solely to a body called the National Committee. The committee will have the exclusive right to register, store, and safeguard the arms; any transfer of arms to Israel or non-Palestinian parties is strictly prohibited. Palestinian factions are also expected to participate in the inventory and storage processes.The start of the arms inventory is conditional upon the National Committee beginning its work and the deployment of international stability forces in Gaza. The process is also linked to the fulfillment of remaining obligations under the Sharm el-Sheikh Protocol. Israel's gradual troop withdrawal from Gaza will be coordinated with the inventory of armed factions' arms; during this process, control of Gaza's arms will be fully transferred to the National Committee.