Hamas says still ready to go ahead with Gaza plan

Hamas declared on Saturday (Aug 8) their continued readiness to advance with the US-backed Gaza peace plan, urging pressure on Israel to comply. The militants have informed the US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace that they remain committed to the latest stage of the plan, which involves Hamas surrendering weapons to a Palestinian governing committee.

The agreement also requires Israel to begin its own implementation, and Hamas awaits this step before moving to the second phase of the deal. A Hamas official told AFP that the group is urging the US administration to apply pressure on Israel to fulfill its part of the agreement. Trump had previously hailed Hamas' agreement to disarmament as a breakthrough, with the Board of Peace claiming Israel would withdraw from parts of Gaza in tandem.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing a re-election in October, maintains that Israel did not agree to the draft presented by the Board of Peace. Netanyahu met with Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, who stated that Israel would only withdraw after Hamas' complete disarmament. Meanwhile, Israeli military operations have continued, killing 1,258 Palestinians since October last year, as reported by the territory's health ministry.