Israel has conveyed “serious security concerns” to the White House over the proposed US-backed Hamas disarmament agreement, saying it will not withdraw troops from Gaza until the militant group fully surrenders its weapons.
FP News Desk | Aug 03, 2026
Debris from Israeli target attack in Gaza. Screengrab via Youtube.
Israel has informed the White House that it has “serious security concerns” about the proposed US-backed Hamas disarmament agreement, arguing that the militant group could rebuild its military capabilities if Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza too soon.
The comments, made by Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, are among Israel’s first public remarks since US President Donald Trump announced the agreement.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Spielman said Israeli intelligence believes Hamas remains focused on rebuilding its military infrastructure 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.
He added that Israel would not withdraw from areas under its control in Gaza until Hamas physically surrendered its weapons, saying, “Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less.”
The proposed agreement follows Hamas’ announcement earlier this week that it was prepared to begin disarming under a US-brokered ceasefire framework agreed last October.
According to a copy of the agreement reviewed by the Associated Press, weapons held by the Hamas-run police force would be transferred to a US-backed Palestinian technocratic administration once it assumes responsibility in Gaza. The deal also envisages dismantling Hamas’ heavy weapons, military production sites and tunnel network alongside a phased Israeli military withdrawal and the deployment of an international security force.
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