Israel flags security concerns to White House over Trump-Hamas disarmament deal

Telaviv,UPDATED: Aug 2, 2026 19:44 IST

Israel has conveyed what it called "serious security concerns" to the White House over the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, according to an Israeli official. The comments are among the first made publicly since US President Donald Trump announced the agreement earlier this week.

The deal, brokered by the US and signed nine months ago as part of a ceasefire aimed at ending the nearly three-year conflict, is being seen as a possible breakthrough. But major hurdles remain, including differences over when Hamas should disarm and when Israeli forces should withdraw from Gaza.

Doron Spielman, spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, told The Associated Press that Israel's intelligence assessment is that Hamas is still focused on rebuilding its military rather than genuinely demilitarising. He said the Israeli military would not withdraw from Gaza, where it controls more than 60 per cent of the territory, before Hamas disarms.

"Our assessment is that if we redeploy before Hamas is truly disarmed, it will quickly expand its presence throughout Gaza, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure, once again threaten Israeli communities, and seek to carry out another Oct 7-style attack," he said, referring to the 2023 attack that triggered Israel's war in Gaza.

"Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less," Spielman said.

His remarks came days after Hamas said it would begin disarming under the ceasefire plan. Trump's 20-point proposal calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons and destroy its tunnel network. It also sets out an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, the deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the territory.

Disarmament by Hamas has been a sticking point and has held up negotiations for months. Announcing the deal on social media, Trump said it would be implemented in "carefully structured phases".

A copy of the agreement obtained and verified by AP says weapons held by the Hamas-run police would be transferred to the US-backed Palestinian technocratic committee, known as the Committee for the Administration of Gaza, after it arrives in the enclave. It is not clear when that would happen, as it depends on other steps being completed first.

According to the agreement, the process of decommissioning and storing heavy weapons, and dismantling military production sites and tunnels, would begin only after the Palestinian committee arrives and international forces are deployed. That process would be linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal.

The parts of Gaza under Israeli control have largely been destroyed and depopulated. Most of the territory's 2 million Palestinians are in the remaining areas, where hundreds of thousands are living in tent camps and damaged neighbourhoods.

Israel, however, appears unlikely to pull back significant forces or make other concessions before its October elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a difficult re-election campaign, with opponents accusing him of failing to prevent the Oct 7, 2023, attack, while his far-right coalition partners are pressing him to maintain pressure on Hamas and keep troops in Gaza.

Spielman said Israel appreciated Trump's commitment to its security and to finding a durable solution, but added that the government's position was based on intelligence indicating that Hamas continues to rearm, recruit fighters and rebuild its military capability.

It remains unclear what exactly Israel told the White House. Two people with knowledge of the deal told AP that Israel had communicated its concerns to former British prime minister Tony Blair, who is part of the Trump-led Board of Peace. One of them said Israel wanted freedom to carry out military operations in Gaza. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Since the ceasefire was signed last October, Israel has continued striking Gaza, saying it is targeting Hamas and its infrastructure. Health officials said Israeli strikes overnight Saturday into Sunday killed at least 10 people, including children. According to Nasser hospital, a strike on a residential apartment in southern Gaza killed three members of a family, including their four-year-old child. The Israeli military said the overnight strikes had targeted Hamas military operatives, without elaborating.

The proposed deal has opened a possible path forward, but the gap between Hamas's stated willingness to disarm and Israel's insistence on verifiable disarmament before any withdrawal means key issues remain unresolved.

With PTI Inputs

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