Israel says it has serious concerns with Hamas disarmament deal
Israel raises security concerns over Hamas disarmament deal as strikes kill 17 in Gaza
Israel has raised "serious security concerns" with the White House over a proposed disarmament agreement with Hamas, as Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 17 people, including children, according to local health officials.
The comments from Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, were among the first public remarks from Israel since US President Donald Trump announced the agreement last week.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Spielman said Israel's intelligence assessment suggests Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military capabilities rather than genuinely disarming.
"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.
Spielman said Israel would not withdraw its forces from Gaza, where it currently controls more than 60% of the territory, until Hamas had physically surrendered its weapons.
The remarks came days after Hamas said it had agreed to begin disarming under a US-brokered ceasefire plan, potentially marking a breakthrough in efforts to end the nearly three-year conflict.
According to a copy of the agreement obtained and verified by the Associated Press, weapons held by the Hamas-run police would be transferred to a US-backed Palestinian technocratic body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. The agreement also outlines the phased decommissioning of heavy weapons, dismantling of tunnels and military infrastructure, deployment of an international security force, and a gradual Israeli withdrawal.
However, implementation remains contingent on several conditions and is expected to take place in carefully structured phases.
US officials said Israel had been consulted throughout the negotiations and was not being asked to undertake commitments beyond those included in the ceasefire and hostage-release agreement reached last October.
According to people familiar with the discussions, Israel has sought guarantees allowing it to continue military operations in Gaza, objected to any role for Qatar and Turkey in verifying implementation of the agreement, and insisted that confiscated Hamas weapons be destroyed.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued military operations in Gaza. Local hospitals said at least 17 people, including children, were killed in the latest strikes. A strike on a residential apartment in southern Gaza killed three members of the same family, including a four-year-old child, according to Nasser Hospital.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted militant operatives.
The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Israel's subsequent military offensive has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which says women and children account for around half of the fatalities but does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.