U.S. President Donald Trump said talks in Cairo between mediators and Hamas leaders on Thursday have led to a phased disarmament agreement in ​Gaza, but a Hamas official described the deal as a draft and U.S. officials said Israel was skeptical the militant Palestinian group would surrender its weapons.

What is Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’?

“Today, the Board of ‌Peace reached a HISTORIC agreement for the COMPLETE DISARMAMENT of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza,” Trump said in a social media post, adding that the disarmament would come in phases. “This is a monumental step toward lasting PEACE and SECURITY.”

The agreement was a critical step towards Gaza being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the so-called Board of Peace, Trump said. “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used ​as a base for terror attacks,” he added, Reuers reported.

A Hamas source told Reuters the “draft agreement” stipulates that ​heavy weapons would only be stored and kept under the control of a Palestinian administration, and the weapons cannot be transferred to Israel.

“We will not take ⁠any action regarding disarmament prior to Israel’s withdrawal from the Strip,” Ghazi Hamad, a member of the Hamas negotiating team, told Al Jazeera.

A U.S. official on Thursday told reporters that Israel is “very skeptical that Hamas ​will disarm.”

“We’re very confident they will adhere to it,” the U.S. official added. “If they don’t, obviously President Trump would be very, very disappointed.”

There were also questions about how long the process would take. A Board of Peace official ​gave an estimate of 200 to 320 days, but a U.S. official played down that timeline.

An Israeli official, who declined to be identified, said before Trump’s announcement Israel had rejected a proposal.

“Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the complete demilitarization of the Strip as a precondition for any process,” the official said earlier on Thursday.

“The 15-point document in question does not provide a satisfactory response to these demands and Israel conveyed its objections.”

Earlier, Israeli ​strikes killed at least six Palestinians in Gaza, including two children, medics said.

A ROADMAP TOWARDS HAMAS DISARMAMENT?

Hamas leaders held talks with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey on the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan, ​as presented to them by his Board of Peace.

Trump set up the board to oversee a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza and rebuild the devastated territory. He appointed members of the board with himself as chair and said last ‌year that the ⁠board will supervise Gaza’s temporary governance.

“Ahead of us is a Gaza rebuilt, governed by Palestinians and at peace with Israel an a political horizon to a meaningful resolution the Israeli Palestinian conflict,” Nickolay Mladenov, Trump’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, said in a statement after the president’s post.

Officials involved in the talks shared few details about plans to rebuild Gaza.

The plan also calls for a surge in humanitarian aid, governance by a civilian Palestinian administration, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the deployment of an international force to help maintain security.

HANDOVER OF WEAPONS COULD BE STICKING POINT

The reality on the ground in Gaza, so far, ​remains far from the goals of the agreement.

Hamas wants ​Israel to commit to ending attacks on ⁠Gaza and withdraw its forces.

It is not yet clear what will happen regarding light or personal weapons or whether the new Hamas stance will be accepted by Israel or the Board of Peace.

The plan includes the elimination of tunnels, arms stockpiles and weapons production facilities, a diplomat involved in the talks said, adding that ​by the end of the process there would be no remaining militant infrastructure in Gaza.

“This isn’t really a trust deal,” a U.S. official said on ​Thursday, calling the agreement a “conditions-based ⁠deal.”

The Israeli military has continued to expand its military occupation of Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that Israel intends to expand the area under its control to 70% of the enclave.

It remains unclear how many forces would be available to deploy with the planned International Stabilization Force, and whether Israeli troops would withdraw from the enclave.

ATTACKS CONTINUE

Health officials said separate Israeli strikes had killed at least two children, a woman and three men in Gaza ⁠on Thursday. The ​Israeli military said it struck Hamas militants in the enclave.

The ceasefire in Gaza has been repeatedly violated, with more than 1,200 Palestinians, ​mostly civilians, being killed by Israeli attacks and four Israeli soldiers being killed by militants since the truce began in October, according to Gaza health officials and Israeli authorities, respectively.

Hamas does not usually disclose its losses.

Afghanistan’s economy continued to grow modestly in June 2026, supported by resilient domestic demand, stable prices and stronger revenue collection, but the pace of growth remains insufficient to improve living standards, according to the World Bank’s latest Afghanistan Economic Monitor.

The report said economic growth has failed to keep pace with rapid population growth, driven in part by the return of millions of Afghans, resulting in a 5.6% decline in per capita income and mounting pressure on household welfare.

Headline inflation eased to 7.6% in June from 8.0% in May, as food prices fell with the start of the domestic harvest season and continued imports. However, core inflation rose to 8.3%, reflecting persistent pressures from housing and healthcare costs.

The World Bank said the Afghan currency depreciated modestly to AFN 64.4 per U.S. dollar in June, although it remained stronger than a year earlier. It noted that improved inflation differentials with neighboring countries enhanced Afghanistan’s external price competitiveness.

The report also highlighted continued disruptions to regional trade caused by the closure of key Durand Line crossings with Pakistan and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. While businesses increasingly relied on Central Asian transit routes, Afghanistan’s trade deficit widened 11% from the previous month and 19% year-on-year to $984.3 million in June.

Exports totaled $77.7 million in June, down 2% from May but up 19% compared with a year earlier. Textile exports surged 304% year-on-year, while food exports declined month-on-month and coal exports remained negligible. India remained Afghanistan’s largest export destination, accounting for 33.6% of total exports.

Imports rose to $1.06 billion, up 10% from May and 19% from a year earlier, driven by stronger demand and a shift toward Central Asian transit corridors, which accounted for 48% of imports. Iran remained Afghanistan’s largest import source, supplying 31% of total imports.

On public finances, domestic revenue reached AFN 17.3 billion in June, down from the previous month but 8.7% higher for the fiscal year to date, supported by improved tax administration and higher non-tax revenues. Public expenditure declined to AFN 17.5 billion, while the fiscal position remained in surplus as spending continued to be limited by available domestic revenues.