Israel raises security concerns over Hamas disarmament deal

Israel has expressed “serious security concerns” over the proposed Hamas disarmament deal, citing intelligence assessments that indicate Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military capabilities.

Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, issued one of Israel’s first responses to the US president’s claim last week that an agreement had been reached for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza.

“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 told The Associated Press.

His comments followed renewed Israeli strikes on Gaza on Sunday, which the IDF said targeted terrorist operatives.

Local Gaza hospitals reported that at least 17 people, including children, were killed in the latest Israeli strikes. A strike on a residential apartment in southern Gaza killed three members of one family, including their 4-year-old child, according to Nasser Hospital, where the bodies were taken.

On Friday, Hamas announced it would begin disarming as part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire signed nine months ago.

This is part of the second phase of a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire plan intended to end the war in Gaza.

The 20-point plan, unveiled last September, includes the establishment of a Board of Peace to oversee implementation, as well as the disarmament of Hamas, withdrawal of Israeli troops, and reconstruction of Gaza.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, Trump said he had an “understanding” with Israel regarding the latest disarmament proposal agreed with Hamas, adding, “Israel’s very happy about it.”

But a senior Israeli official insisted, “There will be no IDF withdrawal from the current Yellow Line without the genuine disarmament of Hamas.”

When asked whether Hamas would disarm before Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza or vice versa, Trump did not answer directly, only saying that Gaza remains “a very complex situation.”

He added that Hamas’s weapons would be handed over to the Board of Peace.

Meanwhile Iran has denied claims made by Trump on Sunday night that talks with Iran would happen the next day.

Tehran said that there were no plans to receive a delegation or send an Iranian one, and that Iran’s current focus was on negotiations with Oman over the strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he decided to hold off on ordering American forces to carry out new strikes against Iran at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, including a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

If the strikes had gone ahead Trump claimed they would have been “the biggest attack since World War II.”