
6 days · 3 summary articles
Netanyahu rejects Trump-backed Gaza plan, vows no Israeli withdrawal until Hamas disarmed
Netanyahu rejects Gaza withdrawal until Hamas disarms, casting doubt on U.S.-backed ceasefire plan
Israel says Gaza withdrawal deal misrepresented as Hamas disarmament stalls
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a 15-point Gaza peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, insisting that Israeli forces would not withdraw from the Palestinian territory until Hamas is fully disarmed.
Netanyahu stated at a cabinet meeting that Israel “does not accept the 15-point document” and that the military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed ... it means heavy weaponry, lighter weaponry, all weaponry.” He reiterated this position in a social media post on Tuesday, adding that Israel was in talks with the United States on the plan. “They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some of which are unacceptable to us, and we know how to stand firm against these things,” Netanyahu said .
The U.S.-backed roadmap, announced by Trump in late July, envisions a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces as Hamas disarms, with an International Stabilization Force and a new Palestinian police force securing the enclave. Hamas, which had endorsed the plan, urged the U.S. to pressure Israel to advance negotiations. Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told Reuters on Sunday that the group remained committed to the roadmap agreed in Cairo 10 days ago .
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s lead envoy for Gaza, said in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 News that Israel would be required to withdraw “sector by sector” once Hamas’ weapons are rendered unusable. He described the plan as the only viable path to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, stating, “The option we are offering today is the only way to ensure this tragedy does not recur” .
Netanyahu’s rejection comes as Israel’s military has scaled back attacks in Gaza under U.S. pressure, agreeing to limit operations to immediate threats and halt targeted assassinations, according to a source familiar with Israel’s position . A senior U.S. official told Channel 12 that Washington views Netanyahu’s stance as largely driven by domestic election politics, with Israel’s vote due on Oct. 27 .
Separately, Israel’s military closed the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank to non-residents, citing the need to protect it from settler violence .
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