Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a US-backed 15-point peace plan for Gaza, saying the Israel Defense Forces will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas is fully disarmed.
Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel was discussing the issue with the United States but would not accept a staged arrangement that allowed withdrawal before what he called genuine disarmament of Hamas, including heavy weapons, lighter weapons and all other weaponry.
What the proposed plan would require
Trump’s Board of Peace proposed the 15-point plan in July. It called for Hamas to disarm in exchange for a full Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and an eventual transfer of power to an independent Palestinian National Committee.
Donald Trump had said the agreement would be implemented in stages. Netanyahu instead said he wanted complete disarmament first, making the sequence of Hamas disarmament and an Israeli withdrawal the central point of disagreement.
Related coverage: What Netanyahu’s rejection means for Trump’s Gaza roadmap.
A sharper public break with Washington
Netanyahu’s statement went beyond an earlier indication from his office that the publicly released version of the plan did not reflect Israel’s positions. He also rebuked US pressure to end conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran without Israel’s agreement.
He described his position as a response to what he called rumours of Israeli weakness and withdrawals on all fronts, and said Israel could stand its ground even against its closest friends when necessary.
What happens next for the proposal
Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative for Gaza on Trump’s Board of Peace, defended the proposal on Sunday, saying it remained the only way forward to prevent the tragedy from happening again.
More context: ‘Green Rafah’ plan advances amid Gaza future dispute.
The rejection complicates the White House effort to broker regional peace. Trump now faces a choice between increasing pressure on Netanyahu, with possible consequences among pro-Israel allies, and allowing the Gaza initiative to stall.
Also read: Trump rejects reports of US weapons shortages in Iran conflict.
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