Israel raises 'serious concerns' over Hamas disarmament deal with US

Israel has conveyed "serious security concerns" to the United States over a deal centered on Hamas disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. The statement marks Israel's first official response since President Donald Trump touted the agreement's achievements, and analysts say it lays bare a significant gap between the two sides over how the deal should be implemented.

Israeli Prime Minister's Office spokesperson Doron Spielman said Sunday, according to AP and other outlets, that Israeli intelligence had assessed Hamas was focused on rebuilding its military capabilities rather than genuinely pursuing demilitarization. He said those concerns had been conveyed to the White House.

Spielman said Israeli forces currently control more than 60 percent of Gaza and stressed that troops would not withdraw until Hamas had fully disarmed.

"Disarmament means the physical surrender of weapons — nothing less," he said, adding that intelligence assessments indicated a premature withdrawal would allow Hamas to reassert control across Gaza, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure and once again threaten Israel.

The remarks represent Israel's first official reaction since Trump announced Thursday that the Gaza Board of Peace had reached an agreement on Hamas disarmament and an Israeli military withdrawal from the territory.

Hamas has also acknowledged the agreement but maintained that an Israeli troop withdrawal is a precondition for disarmament. Israel's position is the reverse — disarmament must come first — confirming that the two sides remain at odds over the deal's central sequencing question.

When asked at a Cabinet meeting Friday whether Israeli withdrawal or Hamas disarmament should come first, Trump said, "We have an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy." Israel's formal statement, however, suggested a somewhat cooler assessment.

According to AP, Israel conveyed its concerns to the US side through former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a member of the Board of Peace, and also requested guarantees that Israeli forces would retain freedom to conduct military operations in Gaza.

A copy of the agreement obtained by AP states that Hamas must transfer all weapons it holds to the Gaza National Administrative Committee (NCAG), a Palestinian technocratic body, and that the destruction, storage and dismantling of heavy weapons, military production facilities and underground tunnels would begin only after the NCAG is established and international stabilization forces are deployed. That process is structured to run in tandem with a phased Israeli withdrawal, and analysts say the competing preconditions each side is insisting on make smooth implementation unlikely.