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US Senator Lindsey Graham has accused Hamas of rebuilding its military capabilities and tightening its control over Gaza, following talks in Israel on Sunday.
He also alleged that the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is rearming, despite separate ceasefire agreements aimed at reducing hostilities in the region.
A fragile truce has been in place in Gaza since October, ending two years of war between Israel and Hamas, although both sides have repeatedly accused each other of breaching the agreement.
In Lebanon, a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah came into effect in November 2024 after more than a year of clashes, but Israeli strikes on Lebanese territory have continued.
Speaking in a video released by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Graham said he assessed that Hamas was not disarming but instead rebuilding its arsenal.
He hinted that the group appeared to be consolidating its authority in Gaza rather than relinquishing power.
The South Carolina Republican, a close ally of US President Donald Trump who played a role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire, said he believed Hezbollah was also attempting to replenish its weapons stockpiles.
He described such developments as unacceptable, remarks that Netanyahu endorsed, praising Graham as a strong supporter of Israel.
The comments came a day after mediators from the United States, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey called on both Israel and Hamas to respect the ceasefire.
The mediators are pushing for progress on a second phase of the agreement, which would see Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza, the establishment of an interim governing authority to replace Hamas and the deployment of an international stabilisation force.
That phase would also involve the demilitarisation of Gaza, including the disarmament of Hamas, a condition Israel has set for any long-term peace.
Hamas, however, has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire and has urged mediators and Washington to intervene.
On Friday, Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that six people, including two children, were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school being used as a shelter for displaced civilians.
The agency operates under the authority of Hamas.
In Lebanon, the government has pledged to begin disarming Hezbollah, starting in the south of the country.
Israel has expressed doubts about the Lebanese army’s ability to enforce this, while Hezbollah has repeatedly refused to surrender its weapons.
