Israeli official says troops won't withdraw without 'genuine' Hamas disarmament

An Israeli official said the country's troops would only withdraw from Gaza once Hamas undergoes genuine disarmament. The remarks came as negotiations over the broader ceasefire process continue.

US President Donald Trump said Israel is 'very happy' with a proposal under which Hamas would give up its weapons in exchange for a phased Israeli withdrawal. The official stressed, however, that any pullback would depend on concrete, verifiable disarmament rather than symbolic gestures.

Observers say significant obstacles remain to implementing the plan. It remains unclear how far Hamas will go in accepting the disarmament terms, with a lack of trust between the parties seen as the biggest risk to the process.