PIJ Denies Deal: Palestinian Islamic Jihad rejected reports that it had accepted a US-backed plan to disarm in Gaza, saying a circulated text was only a draft and that it raised objections. Reported Talks: Sources in Cairo said Hamas had approved a timetable for demilitarization and President Donald Trump said a US-led council had agreed on Hamas' "complete disarmament." Uncertainty: Neither Hamas nor Israel has confirmed a deal; PIJ demands legal guarantees that Israel would be bound to implement any agreement.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Denies Report of US-Backed Gaza Disarmament Deal
FILE PHOTO - Palestinian militants stand guard as trucks loaded with food and humanitarian aid enter the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing, on Salah al-Din Road east of Khan Yunis. (is associated with: «Palestinian Islamic Jihad rejects reported Gaza disarmament deal») Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a militant group aligned with Hamas, has denied reports that it agreed to a US-backed plan to disarm in the Gaza Strip, saying a widely circulated text was only a draft to which it has lodged formal objections.
PIJ said claims that a deal had been finalised were inaccurate. A member of the group's political bureau described the document as a draft and stressed that PIJ insisted on additional conditions, including legal guarantees that Israel would be bound to implement its commitments.
What was reported: Sources close to talks in Cairo had told reporters that Hamas had agreed to disarm and accept the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip. Several people familiar with the negotiations said Hamas, through mediators, had approved the final wording of a proposed implementation timetable. President Donald Trump also said a US-led peace council had reached an agreement on the "complete disarmament" of Hamas in Gaza.
To date, neither Hamas nor Israeli officials have publicly confirmed that any binding deal has been reached.
"Any agreement would have to be binding on both sides," a PIJ political bureau member said, adding that the current draft fails to include key guarantees demanded by the group.
Earlier reports indicated Hamas might consider placing its weapons under the supervision of a Palestinian transitional authority in Gaza and that international mediators could monitor compliance. An Israeli government official, however, said that all weapons should be removed from the Gaza Strip.
Background
PIJ participated in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and was involved in taking Israeli hostages during the assault. The group's participation and the high-profile nature of the negotiations mean any agreement on weapons and demilitarization would be politically sensitive and require robust verification and legal safeguards.
With public statements from the main parties absent and competing reports from mediators and officials, observers say uncertainty remains over whether a durable, enforceable disarmament agreement is realistic without detailed, reciprocal guarantees and independent monitoring.
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