Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start your Friday, including US President Donald Trump announcing that an agreement has been reached for the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, Hamas saying it will not disarm before Israel’s withdrawal from the enclave, and Iraq rejecting claims that it facilitated US-Saudi strikes against Iran-backed groups on Iraqi territory, saying it had no prior knowledge of the attacks.
US President Donald Trump said an agreement has been reached for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, with Israeli forces set to withdraw as the process moves forward.
Trump said the deal, which he described as a "historic" step toward peace and security, would be carried out in phases.
"The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases. As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors,” he wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.
He said the agreement represents a “major milestone” in implementing his 20-point plan for Gaza, adding that the territory would eventually be governed by a “new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people.”
A senior Hamas official said the Palestinian group will not take any steps toward disarmament before Israeli forces withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ negotiating delegation, said the issue of disarmament is linked to Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and the territory’s reconstruction.
In remarks to the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel, Hamad said Israel would have no role in the disarmament process, which would instead be carried out by a Palestinian national committee.
He stressed that Hamas would not implement any disarmament measures unless Israel first fulfills its obligations under the agreement.
Iraq’s government rejected allegations that it had facilitated recent US-Saudi strikes against Iran-backed groups on Iraqi territory, saying it neither approved nor had prior knowledge of the attacks.
Government spokesman Haider al-Aboudi said the Ministerial Council for National Security condemned the US-Saudi attacks as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
“The government has always believed that diplomacy and dialogue are the only way to spare the region further crises and escalation,” Aboudi said.
Türkiye's unemployment rate fell 0.5 percentage points month-on-month to 7.6% in June, marking the lowest level since monthly records began in 2005, official data showed.
The number of unemployed people aged 15 and over decreased by 168,000 from the previous month to 2.69 million, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat).
The unemployment rate stood at 6.5% among men and 9.8% among women.
The number of employed people rose by 227,000 month-on-month to 32.73 million in June, while the employment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 48.9%.
The Bank of England kept its policy rate unchanged at 3.75% as easing inflation offset growing price pressures from higher energy costs.
The Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-3 to maintain the rate, while three members supported a 25-basis-point increase to 4%.
The bank said annual consumer inflation had declined to 2.6% since its previous meeting but was expected to rise later this year as elevated crude oil and refined energy prices passed through to the economy.
Energy prices have remained volatile and above pre-conflict levels due to developments in the Middle East, creating uncertainty over the outlook for growth and inflation, it said.
The US economy expanded at an annualized rate of 1.5% in the second quarter of 2026, falling short of market expectations, according to an advance estimate.
Economists had forecast gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 2.1% for the April-June period.
The Bureau of Economic Analysis said the economy slowed from a revised 2.1% expansion in the first quarter.
The second-quarter increase reflected gains in consumer spending, investment and exports, which were partly offset by a decline in government spending.
Apple posted quarterly revenue of $109.4 billion, up 16% year over year in the third quarter, according to its financial results.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company reported its strongest June quarter ever, with double-digit revenue growth across its iPhone, Mac and Services units in every geographic segment.
Cook said the company introduced the all-new Siri AI alongside its latest software innovations and important new child safety features at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC26).
The Russian government said it had extended a temporary ban on exports of gasoline, diesel, marine fuel and gasoil through Jan. 31, 2027 in a move aimed at maintaining stability in the domestic fuel market.
According to a statement published on the government’s website, the restrictions will take effect Aug. 1 and replace the current export ban, which had been due to expire later this year.
“The decision was made to maintain a stable situation in the domestic fuel market,” the government said.
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