Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, insisting that Israel will not withdraw its military forces until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed.
Netanyahu made the position clear during a cabinet meeting on Sunday, saying the Israeli military would continue to protect its forces and citizens and would not carry out a withdrawal until Hamas had been fully disarmed.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said.
His rejection represents another setback for Trump’s Gaza peace plan, which was designed to end the conflict, secure the disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups, facilitate the withdrawal of Israeli troops and support the reconstruction of Gaza.
Trump’s Board of Peace said last month that it had reached an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
However, Hamas has maintained that the handover of its heavy weapons would depend on Israel ending “all forms of aggression” and withdrawing its forces from Gaza.
A Hamas official told the BBC on Sunday that the group reaffirmed its commitment to the agreement and was prepared to engage “seriously and responsibly” in implementing the 15-point plan.
The official also called on mediators to ensure that all parties comply with the terms already agreed.
Netanyahu insists on Hamas disarmament
Netanyahu said Israel would not accept what he described as a “fictitious disarmament” of Hamas, stressing that the disarmament must be genuine before any Israeli military withdrawal takes place.
He said Israel was already discussing the way forward with US officials, noting that some of their proposals were acceptable to Israel while others were not.
“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,” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli leader’s position comes at a politically sensitive period, with elections only months away and pressure from members of his right-wing coalition to maintain a tough stance on Gaza.
Far-right members of the coalition have also opposed aspects of Trump’s plan. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has called the draft “not acceptable” and faced calls for a new cabinet vote to end the Gaza plan.
US peace team defends Trump’s plan
Nickolay Mladenov, a senior diplomat tasked with implementing Trump’s peace plan, defended the proposal and said discussions were continuing in the hope of achieving a “positive outcome”.
Mladenov said the plan was the “only way forward” to prevent a repeat of the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel.
He explained that the process had been designed to be verifiable and reversible, meaning that implementation could be stopped at different stages if necessary.
Mladenov also said Israel would not be required to withdraw its forces until it could be verified that Hamas was taking concrete steps towards disarmament.
The disagreement between Israel and Hamas centres largely on the sequence of events: Hamas wants an Israeli withdrawal and an end to military action as part of the process towards disarmament, while Netanyahu insists that Hamas must genuinely disarm before Israel withdraws.
Gaza humanitarian crisis continues
The dispute comes as the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains severe.
According to the United Nations, about 1.9 million people, representing roughly 90 per cent of Gaza’s population, have been displaced since the war began.
The conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza. More than 73,000 people have been killed in the territory, according to Gaza’s health ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
With Israel rejecting the current 15-point document and Hamas insisting on conditions tied to an Israeli withdrawal, the future of Trump’s Gaza peace plan now depends on whether the two sides and their mediators can agree on a workable sequence for disarmament, withdrawal and the implementation of the wider agreement.
