Israel has expressed to Washington its "concerns" regarding the plan announced by Donald Trump on the disarmament of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which provides for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territory. In response, the Peace Council assured that Israel would not withdraw from the Palestinian enclave before the "complete" disarmament of Hamas.

Published on: 03/08/2026 - 17:17Modified on: 04/08/2026 - 08:40

Donald Trump's Peace Council, responsible for implementing the second phase of the peace plan in Gaza, assured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday August 3 that Israel would not withdraw from Gaza before the "complete" disarmament of Hamas.

“We note that the full withdrawal of the Israeli Defense Forces beyond the yellow line will only take place once disarmament is completed, as Hamas has committed to the mediators,” wrote the Council on X, in reference to the dividing line between the area controlled by Hamas and that held by Israel.

The Peace Council's high representative for Gaza, Nikolai Mladenov, met with Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for a meeting he himself described as difficult. The Council, however, said it had reached a “common understanding of shared objectives” with Israel.

Also read: What we know about the Hamas disarmament agreement in the Gaza Strip

A version “which does not reflect Israel’s position”

Israel had expressed to Washington its "concerns" about the agreement announced by Donald Trump to launch the second stage of his plan to end the war in Gaza.

“Israel has transmitted to its American counterparts its comments and concerns on the proposed framework,” declared a spokesperson for Benjamin Netanyahu to Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday, in a new manifestation of the tensions that appeared between the two allies which did not dissipate the meeting in Washington of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of July. “The version made public does not reflect Israel's position,” added spokesperson Doron Spielman.

Hamas announced on Friday that it had accepted the road map drawn up by the Peace Council created by Donald Trump. This version made public by this body notably provides for the end of military operations by both parties, as well as the dismantling of Hamas weapons and their storage by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a Palestinian technocratic body responsible for managing the territory in a transitional phase.

This disarmament will be linked to a gradual Israeli withdrawal, with the International Stabilization Force being formed to be deployed to separate Israeli forces from areas controlled by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. But Israel repeated Monday that it "would not retreat and would continue to counter any threat", according to a political source at AFP.

Hamas and its allies "are sticking to what was agreed regarding the establishment of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement (...) and are awaiting a clear and official response from Nikolai Mladenov and the mediators (...) regarding what was agreed," the Palestinian movement reacted on Telegram Monday evening.

Qatar, Egypt and Turkey condemn Israel

The Israeli army continued its attacks on Gaza, according to a security source on site, who counted "more than ten airstrikes" having killed 19 people since Sunday, one of the heaviest tolls in recent months.

On Monday, another Israeli strike on a vehicle west of Gaza City killed two Palestinians and injured several others, according to Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal. The Israeli army told AFP that it had targeted two individuals.

On Monday, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, countries mediating the truce in Gaza, condemned Israel for its “continued violations” on the Palestinian territory after the latest strikes, which they said constitute “a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law”.

Since October, more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. The Israeli army, for its part, recorded five soldiers killed during the period, as well as a civilian employee under contract. Donald Trump called the new stage of his plan a “major milestone” in efforts to end the conflict triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

With AFP

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