Israel: Hamas must disarm before Gaza reconstruction begins

Hamas must disarm and Gaza must be demilitarized before reconstruction begins under U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said on Tuesday.

“To date, Hamas has not surrendered a single weapon,” the statement said, calling on mediators to demand the terrorist group’s immediate disarmament throughout Gaza. Hamas’s continued refusal to disarm remains the principal obstacle to rebuilding the enclave, the office added.

Israel said it is working closely with the United States and the Board of Peace and remains committed to the success of Trump’s plan. It has also facilitated additional humanitarian supplies to help Gazans prepare for winter, according to the statement.

The winter aid includes more than 91,000 tents, more than 8,200 truckloads of tarpaulins, blankets, winter clothing and other supplies, and 12 vacuum trucks to pump and remove sewage. Israel said Hamas must not be allowed to exploit humanitarian supplies and equipment to rebuild its terror capabilities.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Michal Maayan also accused Hamas on Tuesday of stealing humanitarian aid “in order to feed its terror machine and tighten its grip on Gaza.” In an X post that included a video statement by Maayan, she said Israel was working to get aid into the enclave and urged: “Hold Hamas responsible. Don’t let Hamas destroy Gaza’s future.”

The statement followed a call by the Board of Peace on Monday for Israel to “immediately” authorize and facilitate humanitarian supplies into Gaza ahead of winter. The Trump-led body acknowledged Israeli efforts but said they remained insufficient. It also said Hamas’s failure to disarm had “compounded the challenges facing Gaza’s civilian population.”

On Oct. 15, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, or COGAT, said Gazan merchants had suspended coordination of commercial shipments because of Hamas threats and forced taxation, rather than an Israeli government decision. Merchants reported that Hamas was demanding about $3,200 per truck and requiring them to sell approximately 30% of their goods in cash, according to COGAT. Humanitarian aid continued entering through the United Nations, international organizations and donor countries, the agency said.

Separately, an analysis published Oct. 27 by the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council challenged claims of widespread famine and disproportionate civilian casualties using Hamas-run Health Ministry data. It cited approximately 1.2% natural population growth in 2025 and figures showing that males accounted for 73.4% of registered deaths that year. The breakdown did not establish how many of those killed were combatants, however, and the U.N.-backed famine assessment also relied on malnutrition and food insecurity data.