Trump claims Israel 'very happy' with Gaza deal despite signs of trouble from Netanyahu's camp

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump insists Israel is “very happy” with his newly announced Gaza agreement, but signs of resistance from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's side are already complicating that picture.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Trump said Washington has an “understanding” with Israel and praised the agreement as a major breakthrough.

Yet when directly asked what happens first, Hamas disarming or Israeli troops withdrawing from Gaza, the president did not answer, leaving unresolved a sequencing dispute that could determine whether the roadmap moves forward.

The plan itself links Israel's phased withdrawal to verified progress on disarmament.

Trump insists Israel backs deal

Asked whether he had assurances that Israel supports the Hamas disarmament agreement, Trump presented an optimistic picture.

“We do have an understanding with Israel. Israel is very happy about it,” Trump told reporters, adding that the Israelis had helped Washington with the process and had been “very good about it.”

Trump called the agreement “a great breakthrough” and said few believed Hamas could ultimately be disarmed.

The roadmap announced Friday establishes a phased process under which Hamas and other armed groups would surrender weapons while Gaza's governance and security responsibilities transition to a new Palestinian administration.

Israeli forces would withdraw in stages as agreed milestones are verified.

But Trump's confidence comes as Netanyahu himself has yet to publicly embrace the newly released roadmap.

Israeli resistance complicates Trump's optimism

There are already signs that elements of the Israeli government see the agreement differently.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called the draft “not acceptable,” arguing that Israel must retain the ability to conduct targeted killings against Hamas members.

More significantly for the agreement's implementation, an Israeli political source told AFP that there would be “no withdrawal whatsoever” of the IDF from the current Yellow Line unless Hamas undergoes “genuine disarmament.”

That position collides with Hamas' own interpretation of the process.

Hamas official Ghazi Hamad has said implementation depends on Israel honoring its commitments, including ending attacks and withdrawing its forces.

The emerging disagreement therefore concerns not only what each side ultimately must do, but who must take the decisive step first.

Washington sends warning to Israel

The Trump administration is already publicly signaling what it expects from Israel.

A US official told reporters that Washington is asking Israel only to follow the peace framework it previously agreed to and expressed confidence it would comply.

If Israel does not, the official warned, Trump would be “very, very disappointed.”

The stakes are substantial because the newly released roadmap requires incremental implementation rather than an immediate Israeli exit or overnight Hamas disarmament. Each phase depends on verification before the process advances.

Trump's unanswered question consequently cuts to the heart of the deal.

Washington may have secured broad agreement on where the process should end. The immediate challenge is getting Israel and Hamas to agree on who moves first to get there.