Israel has expressed "serious security concerns" to the White House over a proposed US-backed agreement for Hamas to disarm, saying it will not withdraw its forces from Gaza until the militant group fully surrenders its weapons, The Politico writes.
The comments came as Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 17 people on Sunday, including children, according to local hospitals. The Israeli military said it had targeted militant operatives.
The remarks by Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, are among the first public comments from Israel since US President Donald Trump announced the disarmament agreement last week.
Spielman told the Associated Press that Israel's intelligence assessment indicates Hamas remains focused on 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, referring to the Hamas-led assault on Israel in 2023 that triggered the war.
"Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less," Spielman said.
His comments follow Hamas' announcement that it would begin disarming under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement signed nine months ago, a move seen as a potential breakthrough after months of stalled negotiations.
According to a copy of the agreement obtained and verified by the Associated Press, weapons held by the Hamas-run police force would be transferred to the US-backed Palestinian technocratic body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza once it arrives in the territory.
The agreement also outlines a phased process to decommission heavy weapons, dismantle military production sites and destroy tunnel networks. These steps would begin after the Palestinian committee and international security forces are deployed and would be linked to a gradual Israeli military withdrawal.
Trump's 20-point ceasefire plan envisages Hamas surrendering its weapons, Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the establishment of a technocratic Palestinian administration, deployment of an international security force and the reconstruction of the devastated enclave.
However, Israeli officials insist that security concerns remain.
While Spielman said Israel "greatly appreciates" Trump's commitment to the country's security and efforts to secure a lasting resolution, he said the government's position is based on intelligence indicating Hamas continues to recruit fighters, rearm and rebuild its military infrastructure.
The White House declined to comment further on Israel's assessment when asked on Sunday.
US officials had previously said Israel was consulted throughout negotiations and was not being asked to undertake commitments beyond those already included in the ceasefire and hostage release agreement signed last October.
According to people familiar with the discussions, Israel also raised concerns over allowing Qatar and Türkiye to verify stages of the agreement, and wants confiscated Hamas weapons to be destroyed rather than stored. Israeli officials have also sought assurances that the military would retain freedom to conduct operations inside Gaza.
Israel currently controls more than 60% of Gaza, according to the Associated Press. Much of the territory under Israeli control has been heavily damaged and largely depopulated, while most of Gaza's two million residents remain in overcrowded camps and destroyed neighbourhoods elsewhere in the enclave.
Analysts say Israel is unlikely to make major military concessions before October's elections, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing pressure from far-right coalition partners to maintain military operations, while critics accuse him of failing to prevent the 7 October 2023 attack.
Since the ceasefire agreement was signed last October, Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Gaza, saying it is targeting Hamas fighters and military infrastructure.
Local hospitals said at least 17 people were killed in the latest attacks, including three members of the same family — among them a four-year-old child — in a strike on a residential apartment in southern Gaza. The Israeli military said the strikes targeted militant operatives.
