Israel raises concerns over Trump’s Gaza plan

Israel has raised concerns with the United States over a Gaza peace plan praised by President Donald Trump after Hamas reportedly agreed to discuss disarmament.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Israel had shared its objections with US officials and stressed that the publicly released version of the proposal did not reflect its position.

Israeli officials also accused Hamas of rebuilding its military capabilities and recruiting fighters since a ceasefire announced by Trump in October. Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Gaza despite the truce, while the conflict has seen a reduction in overall violence.

Trump described Hamas’s reported agreement as a “major milestone” in efforts to end the war and claimed that Israel welcomed the development.

However, Netanyahu’s office said Hamas’s alleged military preparations showed that the group could still pose a serious threat to Israel. It argued that any long-term agreement must include the complete, verifiable and irreversible disarmament of Hamas.

An Israeli official said Israel would not withdraw its forces from Gaza under the proposed framework until it could confirm that Hamas had fully surrendered its weapons.

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued after the Hamas announcement. Palestinian authorities said Israeli attacks on Sunday killed at least 13 people.

According to Palestinian authorities, more than 73,000 Palestinians have died in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since October 7, 2023.