Israel has communicated serious security concerns to the White House over the Hamas disarmament framework, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office saying the publicly released version does not reflect its position. Spokesperson Doron Spielman called verifiable demilitarization an indispensable first step and cited intelligence indicating Hamas has rearmed and recruited thousands of fighters since the October ceasefire, warning the group is preparing for further attacks on the scale of October 7, 2023.
The comments followed President Donald Trump's declaration of an understanding with Israel on the agreement, which envisions Hamas surrendering weapons to a U.S.-backed Palestinian technocratic committee. Israel, which controls more than 60 percent of Gaza, has ruled out withdrawal before disarmament is verified and is unlikely to make concessions before October elections.
Violence continued as the Palestinian Health Ministry reported 19 killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday, while the Israeli military said it struck Hamas weapons facilities and eliminated militants, including a commander linked to the October 7 attack. More than 73,300 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began.