Report: Israel tells US Hamas doesn’t plan to disarm and is rebuilding its forces

Senior Israeli military officials have presented intelligence to their US counterparts that indicates Hamas has no intention of disarming and is instead rebuilding its forces in the Gaza Strip in preparation for possible renewed fighting, the Haaretz daily reported Thursday. Citing sources familiar with the information, the outlet reported that there is no intelligence indicating that Hamas has a set date to restart fighting or that it has developed an organized operational plan. The sources, however, reportedly described the assessment that the Palestinian terror group would not voluntarily surrender its weapons as “unequivocal.” The intelligence from the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet was presented to American military officers, as well as to Israel’s political leadership, in recent days, as the administration of US President Donald Trump exerts pressure to implement a US-backed Gaza peace plan. According to the report, the IDF believes Hamas will not hand over its weapons to an international body, and can only be disarmed through military operations, including entering areas of Gaza not currently under Israel’s control. It also said Hamas has stockpiles of weapons in areas where the IDF did not conduct ground operations throughout the war, in part because of concerns that hostages were being held there. The military added that Hamas has restored much of its tunnel network in areas outside Israeli control and, according to Haaretz, has some 30,000 to 40,000 operatives. Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms Israeli security officials said that Hamas has reestablished its governing authority in Gaza and faces no significant challenge to its rule there, including from Palestinian clans that have lost much of their influence – raising doubts about their ability to form a new governing authority, the report continued. Palestinians walk past buildings damaged during the Israel-Hamas war, in Gaza City October 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana) Security officials cited by Haaretz said Iran and Turkey are among the main sources of Hamas’s funding, and that the terror group receives much of the money in digital currencies converted by pressuring changers in Gaza to provide $100 in cash in exchange for $130 worth of digital currency. Meanwhile, the upcoming winter season is expected to worsen the living conditions for civilians in Gaza, and the IDF believes, according to Haaretz, that Hamas intends to exploit the humanitarian situation through an international campaign to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel. Advertisement At a recent closed-door meeting reportedly involving representatives of the IDF, the Foreign Ministry, the National Security Council and other government agencies, military officials insisted on a coordinated public diplomacy plan and messaging strategy. The IDF’s position was that Israel should not wait until images of flooded tents, suffering residents dealing with shortages and destroyed infrastructure appear in international media. However, the proposal was rejected by officials who argued that proactive efforts could instead draw more attention to Gaza’s conditions. According to sources cited by Haaretz, officials fear those efforts could also highlight commitments made by Israel to Washington that have yet to be fulfilled, which could lead to increased pressure from the Trump administration. One central dispute involves the reconstruction of two wastewater treatment facilities in Gaza that were damaged during the war, which began following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages. Washington maintains that Israel already committed to allowing the facilities’ reconstruction, while the IDF and Shin Bet oppose the project over concerns that Hamas could divert the construction materials to rebuild its military infrastructure. According to IDF figures, approximately 600 trucks carrying food, tents, blankets and warm clothing enter Gaza every day, and water supplies have increased through pipelines from Israel and one from Egypt, financed by the United Arab Emirates, to about 70 liters (18.5 gallons) per person per day. The IDF said the water supply is at the highest level since the war began and added that Gaza’s humanitarian situation is better now than at any point since the war began in 2023, according to Haaretz, even amid the massive destruction there. Hundreds of thousands of Gaza’s residents live amid widespread destruction and insufficient housing or sanitation. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting. — Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist Support our work Support our work Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You're a dedicated reader We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE , as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel Join Our Community Join Our Community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 Op-ed: 6 days to election For Israel’s sake, Netanyahu has to go 2 Reports: Israeli jets flew to Iran’s border; some US sources suspect bid to rile Tehran 3 Global industry professionals spurn major Israeli music showcase amid cultural boycott 4 IDF says strike killed final Hamas member who took part in kidnapping Shani Louk 5 Netanyahu planned attack on Iran earlier this month, but Trump opposed it – report 6 Israel bars United pilot from its airspace over alleged support for Iran, Hezbollah 7 Inside story Israelis flying from US to vote are leaning on a network built during judicial overhaul protests 8 Netanyahu blames French unrest on ‘invasion of extremist Islam’; France set to deploy troops read more: Israel & the Region 2023-2025 Israel-Hamas war Hamas IDF Israel Defense Forces Hamas tunnels Hamas-Turkey relations Iran-Hamas relations If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY Already a member? Log in here close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register Paying ToI Community members are invited to comment on articles Email address * Please use the following structure: example@domain.com Continue Or Continue with By joining you agree to the terms and conditions Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition back close popup Register to continue Email address * Change REGISTER Or Continue with back close popup Log in to continue Email address * Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.. Continue back close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register You are currently registered. Please join The Times of Israel Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits Only ToI Community members can comment below articles Email address * Password * Incorrect password. Please try again or choose an option below. Forgot your password? / Send me a login link Continue Sign in without joining Or Continue with close popup Check your email We sent an email to you at . It has a link that will sign you in. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. back close popup Join The Times of Israel Community Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits. Email address * Please use the following structure: example@domain.com JOIN NOW! close popup Thank you! Now check your email You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.