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Israel Says It Has Serious Concerns with Hamas Disarmament Deal

02 August 2026, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians crowd along the Gaza seaport in Gaza City, amid high summer temperatures. (dpa)
02 August 2026, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians crowd along the Gaza seaport in Gaza City, amid high summer temperatures. (dpa)
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Israel Says It Has Serious Concerns with Hamas Disarmament Deal

02 August 2026, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians crowd along the Gaza seaport in Gaza City, amid high summer temperatures. (dpa)
02 August 2026, Palestinian Territories, Gaza: Tents sheltering displaced Palestinians crowd along the Gaza seaport in Gaza City, amid high summer temperatures. (dpa)

Israel has shared “serious security concerns” with the White House regarding the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official told The Associated Press on Sunday in some of the first public comments since US President Donald Trump announced the agreement earlier this week.

Doron Spielman, spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister's office, told the AP that Israel's intelligence assessment is that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military rather than genuinely demilitarizing. He said the Israeli military would not withdraw from Gaza — where it controls more than 60% of the territory — before Hamas disarms.

“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 Oct. 7-style attack,” he said, referring to the attack in 2023 that triggered Israel's war in Gaza.

“Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less,” Spielman said.

His comments come days after Hamas said that it would begin disarming as part of the US-brokered ceasefire signed nine months ago to end the nearly three-year-long conflict. It marks a potential breakthrough in ending the conflict, but many hurdles, conditions and long timelines remain.

Hamas says obstacles remain

Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the group to surrender its weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the battered Palestinian enclave.

Hamas disarming has been a sticking point and has deadlocked negotiations for months. In announcing the deal on social media, Trump said it would be carried out in “carefully structured phases.”

A copy of the agreement obtained and verified by the AP said that all weapons held by the Hamas-run police will be transferred to the US-backed Palestinian technocratic committee, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, upon its arrival in the enclave. It’s not clear when that would happen since it is contingent on other steps.

A process to decommission and store heavy weapons and to dismantle military production sites and tunnels will begin after the arrival of the Palestinian committee and the deployment of international forces. The process will be linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal, according to the agreement.

The areas Israel controls in Gaza have been mostly destroyed and depopulated. Most of the territory’s 2 million Palestinians are in the other part, where hundreds of thousands live in squalid tent camps and destroyed neighborhoods.

Israel appears unlikely to pull back significant forces or make other concessions ahead of its October elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tough reelection battle, with opponents accusing him of failing to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, and his far-right coalition partners urging him to keep up the pressure on Hamas and leave forces in Gaza.

Israel warns Hamas is rearming

While Spielman said Israel greatly appreciates Trump’s commitment to its security and to finding a durable resolution, the government's position on disarmament is based on detailed intelligence saying that Hamas continues to rearm, recruit fighters, and rebuild its military capabilities.

It's unclear what exactly Israel conveyed to the White House. Two people with knowledge of the deal told the AP that Israel had communicated its issues with it to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who's part of the Trump-led Board of Peace. One of them said that among the points Israel wanted was freedom to conduct military operations in Gaza. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Israel continues to strike Gaza

Since the ceasefire was signed last October, Israel has continued striking Gaza, saying it’s targeting Hamas and its infrastructure.

Overnight Saturday and into Sunday Israeli strikes killed at least 10, including children, health officials said. A strike on a residential apartment in southern Gaza killed three family members, including their 4-year-old child, according to Nasser hospital, where the bodies arrived.

The Israeli military said the overnight strikes had targeted Hamas military operatives, without elaborating.

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Arab World

Large Public and Official Turnout at Funerals of Jordan Church Attack Victims

Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
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Large Public and Official Turnout at Funerals of Jordan Church Attack Victims

Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)
Jordanian honor guards carry a flag-draped coffin of on of the victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

Thousands of Jordanians on Sunday laid to rest eight of the nine victims killed on Friday in a terrorist attack that targeted the Hamoud Church in the southern governorate of Karak, amid a large public and official turnout that underscored the principles of coexistence.

On Friday, gunmen suspected of being "takfiris" opened fire on churchgoers, killing nine and wounding about 25 others. The ninth victim will be buried Monday in the Sahab cemetery south of Amman, AFP reported, citing the victim's family.

The funerals extended far beyond the immediate tragedy at the church, as the village of Hamoud witnessed a national consensus that underscored Christian-Muslim fraternity and cast the terrorist crime as a catalyst for solidarity rather than strife.

An official presence dominated the funeral, with the heads of the constitutional authorities leading the ranks of mourners. Most of the governorate’s prominent figures, both Muslim and Christian, stood alongside the families of the church victims to receive condolences.

Jordanian honor guards carry the flag-draped coffins of victims killed in an attack on a Greek Orthodox church during their funeral procession in Karak, Jordan, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. (AP)

By order of Jordanian King Abdullah II, the Royal Hashemite Court undertook the arrangements and protocols for the massive funeral service, which drew thousands of people from across the kingdom.

In a reflection of the area's deep-rooted coexistence, the Christian victims killed at the church included Dr. Mohammad Al-Qassous. A member of the Al-Halsa clan, his parents chose his Muslim name out of a profound conviction that no distinction exists between the residents of a shared village. Widely recognized in the community, Al-Qassous was known as the "doctor of the poor."

Among the wounded in the terrorist attack were four Muslims, two of whom had arrived to help upon hearing the sound of gunfire.

Informed sources stated that "the past hours witnessed a continuation of search operations on a broader scale" for the attackers, noting that investigators are close to mapping and tracking the communication networks of the terrorist cell behind the church massacre.

According to the sources, the delay in announcing preliminary investigation results stems from search and tracking operations navigating the mountainous terrain east of the Karak governorate. They noted that the challenging topography of the search sites demands caution, particularly amid concerns that the militants may have cached weapons for use in further operations. Authorities are continuing to raid locations where suspects are believed to be hiding.

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan stated Sunday, during a cabinet meeting that opened with a recitation of Al-Fatiha for the victims, that "all state agencies are working to apprehend the terrorists behind the Karak crime so they face the punishment they deserve."

A woman reacts during the funeral of victims of a church shooting in Karak, Jordan, October 25, 2026. (Reuters)

"This is not merely a security battle; this is a battle of awareness and ideology. Nations and homelands collapse when strife, bigotry, racism, and extremism spread within their societies,” he added.

During the funeral ceremonies, Asharq Al-Awsat observed striking scenes that encapsulated feelings of grief, anger, and a commitment to national unity.

As Muslim clerics stood alongside Christian clergy around the church, the victims' coffins were placed at the beginning of the farewell ceremony on a white cloth bearing a message of peace and adorned with flowers, before being carried in a solemn military funeral on the shoulders of general security personnel, draped in Jordanian flags.

Another scene encapsulated the depths of anger, as young Jordanian men wore the Shemagh (a red Jordanian headdress) upside down - a tribal custom that symbolizes a demand for revenge - expressing their outrage over the crime.

Following the burials, the ululations of the victims' mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters filled the air, blending with the tears of farewell in a scene that united the pain of loss with immense pride in the departed.

Arab World

Shock and Grief in a Jordanian Village after Church Attack

This handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace on October 23, 2026, shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) visiting Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak to check on those who were injured in the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate. (Photo by Jordanian Royal Hashemite Court (RHC) / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace on October 23, 2026, shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) visiting Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak to check on those who were injured in the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate. (Photo by Jordanian Royal Hashemite Court (RHC) / AFP)
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Shock and Grief in a Jordanian Village after Church Attack

This handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace on October 23, 2026, shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) visiting Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak to check on those who were injured in the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate. (Photo by Jordanian Royal Hashemite Court (RHC) / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Jordanian Royal Palace on October 23, 2026, shows Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) visiting Prince Ali Military Hospital in Karak to check on those who were injured in the attack on a Greek Orthodox church in the village of Hammoud in Karak governorate. (Photo by Jordanian Royal Hashemite Court (RHC) / AFP)

Workers were cleaning the last traces of blood from St George's Church in Jordan's Hammoud the day after a deadly attack, when visitors arrived to express their solidarity amid an atmosphere of shock and grief.

At noon on Saturday, the bells of the Greek Orthodox church in Jordan's Karak Governorate, south of Amman, rang in unison alongside churches across Jordan, mourning the victims of the unprecedented attack against Christians in the kingdom, which left nine dead and 25 wounded according to the latest toll from the authorities.

Sayel al-Khaitan, a doctor who was inside the church when the attack, which took place during a funeral, began, described what happened as a tragedy.

"It is a criminal, dark, spiteful, Daesh-style attack", he said, referring to the ISIS group, saying it targeted Jordanian society as a whole.

He described coming under heavy gunfire, saying, "It was likely that we would have fallen as martyrs in the massive attack, but, by a miracle, we survived".

Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen Al-Faraya said the attackers were extremists.

They are still on the run.

- 'Hunting people' -

Bullet holes marred the church's walls and wooden pews, with windows shattered and glass shards gathered into a pile outside.

Security forces have been deployed at the entrances and exits of the church in the small, predominantly Christian village.

Christians make up about three percent of the Muslim-majority kingdom.

On Saturday, preparations were underway for the victims' funerals the following day and church officials have dug a mass grave, which will become a memorial.

Father Yohanna Hamati told AFP about 170 to 200 people taking part in the funeral of a woman from his parish when the volley of bullets began outside shortly after 2 pm.

He said the mourners "at first did not grasp what was happening".

But as people fled into the church, "we began to realize there was an attack".

"They were hunting people," he said. "Nothing like it has ever happened, neither to a church nor to a mosque."

He said some of the wounded mourners were Muslim, adding "we make no distinction between Muslim and Christian" and stressing that what happened "does not reflect Jordanian morals".

In the village's guest hall, condolences were pouring in from clerics, military officials, the Vatican ambassador to Jordan and local dignitaries.

In the provincial capital Karak, dozens of people visited Prince Ali Military Hospital, where most of the wounded were taken, to donate blood or express solidarity.

Youth activist Murooj Al-Nuwaysa, wearing a pink hijab, said she came with about 25 young men and women, carrying a bouquet of flowers with a card reading, "Our loss is one".

- 'Shock and pain' -

Nuwaysa says she was at the hospital on Friday visiting a patient at the time of the attack.

"I didn't have my phone with me, and I didn't know what was happening."

"Ambulances were arriving in large numbers... It was very strange. Then there was the sight of the blood and the people... We later heard there had been an attack on a church," she said.

She said the youth delegation's visit on Saturday was an expression of "solidarity and our feeling of shock and pain."

"Our friends, colleagues and relatives, Muslims and Christians, live together and share each other's occasions. It is a huge shock."

Jordan's King Abdullah II visited the injured in the hospital, dressed in military fatigues and carrying a pistol on his hip.

"We will show them," he vowed to the victims.

Outside the hospital, Majed Jaafar, dressed in traditional Arab robes and the red-and-white Jordanian keffiyeh, said with a mix of sadness and anger: "We cried for them. Christians are cousins, neighbors and relatives. There is nothing between us but love."

"This is the first time something like this has happened in Jordan," he said.

Wisam al-Burqan, one of the villagers, said he arrived at the site of the attack minutes after the assailants fled.

"These people are not a danger to Christians alone... they are a danger to society as a whole," he said, demanding the government "strike with an iron fist, uproot them and show them no mercy".

Arab World

Days before Israeli Election, Military Conducts Massive West Bank Operation

Palestinians cross on foot past a military gate closed to vehicles during an Israeli army operation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, a day after a Palestinian shooting attack in the area. (AP)
Palestinians cross on foot past a military gate closed to vehicles during an Israeli army operation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, a day after a Palestinian shooting attack in the area. (AP)
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Days before Israeli Election, Military Conducts Massive West Bank Operation

Palestinians cross on foot past a military gate closed to vehicles during an Israeli army operation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, a day after a Palestinian shooting attack in the area. (AP)
Palestinians cross on foot past a military gate closed to vehicles during an Israeli army operation in Hebron in the occupied West Bank Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, a day after a Palestinian shooting attack in the area. (AP)

The Israeli military continued a massive military operation in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, displacing hundreds of Palestinians and placing major restrictions on movement in response to a gun attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others in Hebron on Friday.

The operation comes as Israel enters the final days before a tense election, which is largely seen as a referendum on current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership and security policies during the past three years of war, The Associated Press said.

Most Palestinian workers with permits will not be allowed to enter Israeli settlements for work in the occupied West Bank on Sunday and Monday, and crossings into Israel will remain closed until after Israel’s elections on Tuesday, the Israeli military said.

The military said it operated in more than 400 different locations over the weekend and arrested 40 Palestinians it claimed were affiliated with Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. It said the operation is continuing at the same intensity on Sunday.

Thousands of Palestinians displaced from Hebron

The Hebron municipality said the operation displaced more than 2,200 people, including nearly 300 children under the age of 18.

The military said that troops were conducting searches in the area where the gunmen operated, and warned residents to evacuate Deir Bahha, the suspected gunmen’s neighborhood. After Friday’s attack, Israel’s military said it found weapons in the gunmen’s car and that they were likely planning to attack Israeli civilians before being stopped at the checkpoint.

All entrances and exits to the city remained sealed, with the epicenter of the operation in Deir Bahha and another part of the city called Al-Jalda, according to Hebron Mayor Yousef Zuhair Al-Jabari.

“People cannot reach or enter the city, and they cannot leave it. The blockade has affected every aspect of life,” Al-Jabari said. He added that the blockade is forcing businesses to close and has also shuttered a mosque.

“The army told us that this area would be closed for 12 days. Now they’re saying 12 days, but maybe they’ll leave the area after two or three days,” said Shadi al-Qawasmi, a Hebron resident who was displaced with his family. “This may be because of the elections or some political matter no one knows except God Almighty.”

The operation forced some families to navigate crossings on foot in order to leave Hebron after the roads were closed to traffic. At some military gates, people passed sacks of flour and gas canisters through the gates, while an elderly man pushed his wife in a wheelchair through an opening beside one of them. Another family attempted to navigate the gate to access medical appointments.

Netanyahu vows a strong response as elections loom Hebron municipal officials said families had been displaced from nearly 500 apartments in Deir Bahha and surrounding neighborhoods.

Six Israelis have been killed this year in attacks in the West Bank, which is experiencing a surge of violence. During the same period, 112 Palestinians have been killed, including the suspected gunmen, according to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry.

The attack sparked outrage in Israel, with Netanyahu and three members of his right-wing government giving statements from the site of the attack on Friday afternoon, vowing to respond forcefully. “We warned a few weeks ago about attempts by our enemies to harm us, our citizens and our soldiers ahead of the election,” Netanyahu said. “We will act to destroy this place.”

Netanyahu is under pressure to demonstrate a strong show of force against Palestinian attackers to bolster his image for Israelis concerned with security.

Roughly 3 million Palestinians and 540,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war. Hebron is one of its most tense cities and the only place where Jewish settlers live in the heart of a densely populated Palestinian area under Israeli military protection.