Israel has expressed significant security concerns regarding the proposed disarmament of Hamas under a US-brokered ceasefire agreement, an Israeli government spokesperson said on Sunday. Doron Spielman, spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister’s office, emphasized that Israel doubts Hamas’s commitment to genuine demilitarization and instead believes the group aims to rebuild its military capabilities.
The ceasefire deal, unveiled earlier this week by US President Donald Trump, seeks to bring an end to years of conflict by imposing a phased disarmament of Hamas. Among its provisions, the plan calls for militant group Hamas to surrender its weapons, dismantle its tunnel networks, and allow Israeli forces to withdraw from Gaza. The agreement also includes the establishment of a new technocratic Palestinian government, the deployment of an international security force, and efforts to rebuild the blockaded Gaza enclave.
Spielman made clear that the Israeli military intends to maintain its presence in Gaza until it is confident that Hamas has fully disarmed. “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 October 7-style attack,” he stated, referencing the deadly surprise assault on Israel by Hamas in October 2025.
While Hamas has publicly agreed to commence disarmament as part of the nine-month-old ceasefire, key challenges remain. The disarmament process, viewed by Israeli officials and some international observers as overly optimistic, has repeatedly stalled negotiations. Trump described the plan’s implementation as “carefully structured phases,” with all weapons held by the Hamas-controlled police to be transferred to the US-backed Palestinian technocratic committee once it assumes control in Gaza.
The introduction of a technocratic Palestinian government is intended to replace Hamas governance in the territory, with the international community playing a role in security arrangements and reconstruction. Yet concerns persist on whether the ceasefire and disarmament can be fully realized given Hamas's entrenched military infrastructure and motives.
Negotiations remain delicate, hinging on the ability of all parties to enforce the complex terms laid out in the agreement. The US-led initiative marks a potential, though fragile, step toward lasting peace in the region amid a history of volatile violence.