Israel has conveyed serious concerns to the United States regarding an agreement concerning the disarmament of Hamas, foreign media outlets including the Associated Press reported on local time August 2.

This marks the first official stance from Israeli officials since U.S. President Donald Trump announced on July 30 that the Gaza Peace Council had reached an agreement on the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

According to the reports, Doron Spielman, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, stated that "Israeli intelligence assesses that Hamas is not genuinely seeking demilitarization, but is instead focusing on rebuilding its military capabilities," adding that "serious security concerns" were communicated to the White House.

He emphasized that with the Israeli military controlling more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, Israel will not withdraw from the area until Hamas is disarmed.

This effectively places Israel's weight behind a rejection of the agreement, which President Trump had touted as "monumental."

As Hamas confirmed the agreement the day after it was announced while also stating that Israeli withdrawal is a precondition for disarmament, the implementation of the agreement is expected to face hurdles.

During a cabinet meeting on July 31, when reporters asked whether Israeli withdrawal or Hamas disarmament comes first, President Trump responded, "We have reached a consensus with Israel. Israel loves it."

Citing the October 2023 surprise attack by Hamas, Spielman also said, "Our assessment is that if we redeploy (withdraw) forces before Hamas is completely disarmed, Hamas would rapidly expand its presence across the Gaza Strip, rebuild its terror infrastructure, and threaten Israel once again."

He added, "Disarmament means physically relinquishing weapons, and nothing less."

Related sources told the Associated Press that Israel conveyed these intentions through former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a member of the peace council, and that one of Israel's demands was the freedom to conduct military operations within the Gaza Strip.

According to the agreement obtained by the Associated Press, all weapons held by Hamas are to be transferred to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a Palestinian technocratic body.

Furthermore, the disposal and storage of heavy weapons, as well as the dismantling of military production facilities and tunnels, are to begin following the arrival of the NCAG and the deployment of an international stabilization force, with this process linked to Israel's phased withdrawal.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)