Israel Briefs US on Hamas Rebuilding and Refusal to Disarm, Report Says
Senior Israeli military officials have briefed their American counterparts on intelligence indicating that Hamas is rebuilding its forces in Gaza and has no intention of surrendering its weapons, Haaretz reported on Thursday. The assessment, also covered by The Times of Israel, places the terrorist organization’s preparations for another war at the center of discussions over Gaza’s future.
The intelligence was presented to US officials in recent days and shared with Israel’s political leadership, according to sources familiar with the information cited by Haaretz. The reported message goes beyond a dispute over the timetable for disarmament: Israeli officials assess that Hamas does not intend to cooperate with an international body charged with changing the security situation in Gaza.
The assessment delivered to Washington
According to the report, Israeli security officials believe military force would be required to disarm Hamas. That is an assessment of the terrorist organization’s intentions and the options for confronting it, rather than an announcement that a new operation has been authorized. No launch date or agreed Israeli and American military plan was disclosed in the account.
The distinction matters as Washington seeks a broader agreement for Gaza. A process built around the voluntary handover of weapons depends on Hamas accepting the loss of its armed power. The intelligence described by Haaretz challenges that premise and puts the question of enforcement directly before the American officials involved in shaping the next stage.
Tunnels and weapons remain central
Haaretz reported that the IDF assesses Hamas has restored a significant part of its tunnel network in areas outside Israeli military control and accumulated weapons there. Underground infrastructure remains a central concern because it can allow terrorists to move, store equipment and preserve operational capabilities beyond what can be seen on the surface.
The report also cited an estimate of between 30,000 and 40,000 Hamas operatives. That figure is an intelligence estimate, not a publicly documented count of trained personnel or functioning combat units. Manpower, weapons, command structures and the condition of the tunnels are separate elements of military capability; a recruitment total alone cannot establish the organization’s overall strength.
Disarmament talks face an enforcement problem
Efforts led by the United States to secure a comprehensive arrangement covering Hamas disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal have stalled over how the process would work, The Times of Israel reported. The new account adds a security assessment to that diplomatic impasse: officials say the organization is preparing to retain its weapons while negotiations continue.
Haaretz also reported that Israel’s security establishment believes Hamas has reasserted its governing authority in the territory it controls without facing an effective internal challenger. Political control and possession of weapons are closely connected in this assessment. Transferring civilian responsibilities would not, by itself, demonstrate that the terrorist organization had relinquished its ability to threaten Israel.
A security test shaped by October 7
The war began with the October 7 massacre in 2023, when Hamas led the assault on southern Israel and abducted hostages into Gaza. Preventing the organization from rebuilding the capacity for another attack remains the security issue behind the disarmament debate. A ceasefire and the dismantling of a terrorist military structure are different objectives, even when pursued within the same diplomatic framework.
The reported briefing therefore leaves Washington with a concrete question: what mechanism would ensure that weapons, tunnels and armed command networks actually cease to function? The answer will affect both negotiations and Israel’s security planning. For now, the central development is the intelligence warning delivered to the United States, with Hamas intentions and the means of enforcing disarmament placed squarely on the agenda.
