Israel raises ‘serious concerns’ over Trump’s Hamas disarmament deal

Israel has formally conveyed "serious security concerns" to the White House over the proposed agreement to disarm Hamas, marking the first public pushback from Jerusalem since President Donald Trump announced the deal last week. The objections threaten to complicate what the administration has called a breakthrough in ending the nearly three-year conflict in Gaza.

Intelligence Assessment Challenges Deal's Premise

Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, told the Associated Press on Sunday that Israel's intelligence assessment indicates Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military capabilities rather than genuinely demilitarizing. He said the Israeli military would not withdraw from Gaza — where it controls more than 60% of the territory — before Hamas fully disarms.npr+1

"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," Spielman said.politico+1

"Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less," he added.jns

The White House did not provide additional comment on Sunday when asked about Israel's assessment. U.S. officials said last week that Israel had been consulted at every step of the negotiations and was not being asked to do anything beyond what it committed to as part of the ceasefire signed last October.wemu+1

Deal Details and Sticking Points

Trump announced on Friday, July 31, that his Board of Peace had reached agreement with Hamas for complete disarmament of armed groups in Gaza, calling it a "major milestone" in his 20-point ceasefire plan. A copy of the agreement obtained by the AP outlines a phased process: weapons held by Hamas-run police would transfer to a U.S.-backed Palestinian technocratic committee, followed by decommissioning of heavy weapons and dismantling of tunnels and military production sites, linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal.aljazeera+3

According to sources familiar with the deal who spoke to the AP anonymously, Israel communicated its concerns through former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who serves on the Trump-led Board of Peace. Among Israel's demands: freedom to conduct military operations in Gaza, exclusion of Qatar and Turkey from verifying the agreement's stages, and destruction of Hamas weapons after confiscation.npr+1

Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on behalf of the Board of Peace, said Sunday his team was working "around the clock" toward de-escalation and full implementation of the peace plan.jns

Strikes Continue Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Israel has continued striking Gaza since the ceasefire was signed last October, saying it targets Hamas infrastructure. Local hospitals reported at least 17 people killed in the latest strikes over the weekend, including children. Israel's military said the strikes targeted militant operatives.wemu+1

Israel appears unlikely to pull back forces ahead of its October elections, with Netanyahu facing pressure from far-right coalition partners to maintain presence in Gaza and from opponents who accuse him of failing to prevent the October 7, 2023, attack that killed around 1,200 people and triggered the war.npr