CAIRO (AP) 鈥� Hamas confirmed Friday that in a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza, but major obstacles remain. There were no U.S. strikes on Iran overnight, but Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it had in the , and Kuwait said it intercepted drones.
Here are the most important developments across the Middle East today:
Gaza: Deal reached for Hamas to disarm, Israel to withdraw
Hamas said it will begin disarming as part of a deal announced by U.S. President that also requires Israel to end its strikes and withdraw from Gaza.
Hamas also said that laying down its heavy weapons, which would come later in the process, was contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel鈥檚 current government adamantly rejects.
Reflecting the hurdles of the potential disarmament, a series of Israeli airstrikes shook Gaza again on Friday, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding at least four, including a child, according to officials in hospitals near the attacks. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement, calling it the only good news in recent days from a troubled region. The deal must be implemented 鈥渨ithout any questions, skepticism, or determination to undermine it,鈥� he told reporters.
Israel has not officially commented on the Hamas deal, which is part of a announced last October. That agreement called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration. Israel was to withdraw and an was to be deployed.
But progress stalled, with Israel saying everything hinged on Hamas disarming, and Hamas accusing Israel of violating the agreement by continuing to carry out regular strikes on Gaza.
The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel鈥檚 retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry says.
The Associated Press of Trump’s plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.
Latest developments on the Iran conflict
No U.S. strikes were reported in Iran on Friday. Iran fired drones at Kuwait, a Gulf country hosting U.S. forces, and said it had also fired at oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and gas shipments, which has been largely closed by the fighting.
Elsewhere in the region:
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Associated Press writer Fatma Khaled contributed to this report from Cairo. Becatoros contributed from Athens, Greece.
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