NEW YORK, July 31. /TASS/. US officials and representatives of the Board of Peace, established at their initiative, believe that police units controlled by the radical Palestinian movement Hamas will begin handing over weapons to the interim authorities in Gaza within the next two weeks, the Associated Press reported, citing sources.

According to the news agency, US officials are optimistic about the prospects for the imminent implementation of the second phase of the peace agreement in Gaza. For now, however, the discussion is limited to police units controlled by Hamas. The timeline for disarming Hamas' main units, including handing over heavy weapons, remains unclear. Some US officials and Board of Peace members estimate that this process could take between 200 and 350 days.

On July 30, Axios reported that Washington officials believe the Hamas’ disarmament will begin in the coming weeks. According to the agreements, Hamas and Israel must take a series of steps based on the principle of reciprocity over the course of approximately seven to eight months, which will be verified by an independent party, the news agency specified. The Associated Press noted that the tunnels used by Hamas units and the facilities used for weapons production are expected to be destroyed.

Earlier on July 30, US President Donald Trump announced that the Board of Peace, established at Washington’s initiative, had agreed on the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. The US leader also stated that Israeli forces would subsequently withdraw from Gaza.