Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday that Israel would not withdraw its military forces from Gaza until Hamas undergoes a “genuine” and complete disarmament, explicitly rejecting a 15-point proposal recently endorsed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Faced with growing pushback from his right-wing political base ahead of upcoming elections, Netanyahu openly voiced his opposition to the framework following more than a week of mounting criticism.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said, referring to a plan endorsed in late July by Hamas.
The Israeli military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting.
The statement stated that Hamas will turn over weaponry to a new Palestinian governance body. It is the most recent phase of a truce led by the United States that was declared in October and has decreased but not stopped Israeli operations in Gaza.
Israel, which also wants Hamas to destroy its weapons, vehemently opposes the plan, which said that Israel would start withdrawing forces in coordination with the disarming.
Trump’s authority carrying out the agreement, known as the Board of Peace, reversed course after meeting Netanyahu last week, stating that Israel would only have to leave following “complete” disarmament.
Far-right supporters have urged Netanyahu—Israel’s longest-serving prime minister—to call a fresh cabinet vote and discard the proposed Gaza framework. Meanwhile, recent opinion polls show him locked in a tight electoral race to retain his office.
Netanyahu maintained that Israel is actively conveying its concerns regarding the proposal to U.S. officials.
“They have ideas; some of them are acceptable to us, and some are not, and we know how to stand our ground on these matters,” he said.
Backstory…
Netanyahu’s latest position comes amid renewed efforts by the United States to broker an end to the war in Gaza, after months of negotiations over a possible ceasefire and the future of the territory. The discussions have focused heavily on the release of remaining hostages, humanitarian access, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the question of what happens to Hamas and its weapons if fighting ends.
This also comes few weeks after Netanyahu met with President Trump for the first time since the inception of the US-Iran conflict.
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