President Trump announced what he characterized as a groundbreaking accord under which Hamas would completely disarm and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza. According to Trump, his Board of Peace agreed to the plan with support from mediators representing Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar. The announcement arrives more than nine months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement was finalized in the region.
However, a senior official from Hamas told NPR that the militant group would consent to surrendering weapons only if Israel first withdraws from Gaza, indicating a potential disagreement over sequencing of the accord’s provisions. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet publicly responded to the Trump administration’s announcement regarding the proposed agreement.
In domestic political developments, Trump is reconsidering his nomination of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for the permanent position. The reconsideration stems from opposition by two Republican senators, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who are withholding support due to concerns about a Department of Justice settlement with the president regarding his IRS lawsuit. Trump stated that any withdrawal of the nomination could be temporary, potentially lasting until those two senators leave office in January.
On the economic front, the Commerce Department reported that the U.S. economy expanded at an annual rate of 1.5% between April and June, representing a deceleration from the first quarter of 2026, when GDP growth reached 2.1%. The department attributed much of the slowdown to decreased government spending and increased imports. According to the report, the economy has largely weathered the effects of rising energy costs resulting from ongoing conflict with Iran.
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