Israel Raises Security Concerns on Hamas Disarmament Deal
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- Israel conveyed "serious security concerns" to the White House over Trump's proposed Hamas disarmament deal, with PMO spokesperson Doron Spielman stating the Israeli military would not withdraw from the more than 60% of Gaza it controls before Hamas disarms
- Israel's intelligence assessment holds that Hamas remains focused on rebuilding its military, recruiting fighters, and rearming rather than genuinely demilitarizing, with Spielman warning a premature Israeli redeployment could enable another October 7-style attack
- Trump's 20-point proposal calls for Hamas to surrender weapons and destroy its tunnel network, with weapons held by Hamas-run police set to transfer to the US-backed National Committee for the Administration of Gaza after international forces deploy
- Netanyahu is unlikely to pull back significant forces before Israel's October elections, with his far-right coalition partners pressing him to maintain pressure on Hamas and keep troops in Gaza
- Israel also communicated its concerns to former British PM Tony Blair, a member of the Trump-led Board of Peace, and sought freedom to carry out military operations in Gaza as part of any agreement
- Israeli strikes on Gaza have continued since the October ceasefire, with overnight strikes killing at least 10 people including a four-year-old child, according to Nasser hospital
Why it matters: Netanyahu faces October elections with far-right partners pressing him to keep troops in Gaza, making major concessions politically costly even as Israel already controls more than 60% of a largely-destroyed and depopulated territory. The deadlock leaves 2 million Palestinians concentrated in the remaining unoccupied areas exposed to continued Israeli strikes, while Hamas retains negotiating time to rearm.
