WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that Hamas would give up arms in what would be a major step forward in the fragile ceasefire with Israel.US negotiators report progress on a Gaza peace deal as the second phase of the ceasefire plan advances, though Hamas denies disarmament claims but the Trump predicts the group will comply.”A lot of people said they’ll never disarm. It looks like they’re going to disarm,” Trump said at a cabinet meeting.Trump hailed cooperation with Hamas after Israeli forces brought back the remains from the last hostage held in Gaza, Ran Gvili.”They did help us with those bodies, getting them back, and that family is so grateful,” Trump said.But Hamas has not confirmed the disarmament.Trump had asked for an update on the Middle East from his special envoy Steve Witkoff, who appeared confident that Hamas would surrender its weapons.”We’ve got the terrorists out of there and they’re going to demilitarise. They will because they have no choice,” Witkoff said.”They’re going to give it up. They’re going to give up the AK-47s,” he told Trump.Hamas has said that the return of Gvili’s body showed its commitment to the ceasefire but it has so far not surrendered its weapons.The group has repeatedly said disarmament is a red line but it has also suggested it would be open to handing over its weapons to a Palestinian governing authority.Disarmament is a key part in the second phrase of the ceasefire plan sealed in October.A Palestinian technocratic committee has also been set up with a goal of taking over governance in the battered Gaza Strip.The US said last week that it was moving into the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan that also includes rebuilding Gaza and establishing the group of Palestinian experts that will administer daily affairs under American supervision.The United Nations has estimated that reconstruction of the Strip will cost more than $50 billion (€42 billion), a process expected to take years and little money has been pledged so far. — Agencies
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