Israel conveys ‘concerns’ to US on Gaza plan

JERUSALEM - Israel has conveyed concerns to the United States on a Gaza plan hailed by President Donald Trump after Hamas said it had agreed on disarmament, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Aug 3.

“Israel has conveyed its comments and concerns on the proposed framework to our American counterparts. The version that has been made public does not reflect Israel’s positions,” Doron Spielman, spokesman for the prime minister’s office, told AFP.

He said that Israeli intelligence had found that Hamas had been re-arming and recruiting forces since a ceasefire announced by Trump in October, which has reduced the level of violence although Israel has kept up strikes.

Hamas announced on July 31 that it had agreed to the next stage of a deal that includes handing over weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing committee.

Trump called the move a “major milestone” in efforts to end the devastating war that opened with the Hamas attack on Israel of October 7, 2023 and told reporters that Israel was “very happy” about the developments.

But Netanyahu’s spokesman said that Hamas’ actions showed it was preparing for “further October 7-style massacres” and noted that the plan released by Trump’s Board of Peace called for Gaza to be “a deradicalised terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbours”.

“That vision stands in direct contrast to the current reality and to Hamas’ stated intentions. The indispensable first step toward any lasting arrangement is the genuine, verifiable and irreversible demilitarisation of Hamas,” he said.

“Anything short of full demilitarisation will leave Hamas with the capability to threaten Israel again.”

An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier said that Israel, which still controls most of the Gaza Strip, would not withdraw forces under the plan without verifying disarmament by Hamas.

Israel kept up strikes after the Hamas announcement, with Palestinian authorities on Aug 2 reporting that Israeli attacks killed at least 13 people. AFP