Israel Breaks Silence, Voices Concerns Over Gaza Agreement

The Israeli government has finally spoken out regarding the Gaza agreement praised by United States President Donald Trump, after the Hamas group said it had agreed to disarmament. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed its concerns about the deal. “Israel has conveyed its comments and concerns about the proposed framework to our American counterparts. The version that has been published does not reflect Israel’s position,” said Doron Spielman, a spokesman for Netanyahu’s office, as quoted by the AFP news agency on Monday (3/8/2026). He said Israeli intelligence had found that Hamas has been rearming and recruiting forces since the ceasefire announced by Trump last October, which reduced the level of violence even though Israel continued to carry out attacks. Previously, Hamas announced on Friday that it had agreed to the next stage of the deal, which includes handing over weapons to a newly formed Palestinian governance committee. Trump called the move an “important milestone” in efforts to end the war in Gaza. He told reporters that Israel was “very happy” with the development. However, Netanyahu’s spokesman said Hamas’s actions showed they were preparing for an “October 7-style mass slaughter”. He stressed that the plan released by Trump’s Peace Council calls for Gaza to become a “deradicalised terror-free zone that poses no threat to its neighbouring countries”. “That vision stands in stark contrast to the current reality and to Hamas’s stated intentions. A crucial first step towards a lasting agreement is the genuine, verifiable, and irreversible demilitarisation of Hamas,” the Netanyahu spokesman said. “Anything less than full demilitarisation will leave Hamas with the capability to threaten Israel again,” he added. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, previously said that Israel, which still controls most of the Gaza Strip, would not withdraw troops under the plan without verifying disarmament by Hamas. Israel continued to carry out attacks following Hamas’s announcement, with Palestinian authorities reporting on Sunday (2/8) that Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 13 people.