JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza on Sunday, saying Israeli forces would not withdraw from the territory until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said during a Cabinet meeting, setting out his clearest opposition yet to the latest framework for implementing Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
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.
Trump’s Board of Peace announced last month that an agreement had been reached for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
Hamas, however, has linked the handover of its heavy weapons to an end to Israeli military operations and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory.
A Hamas official said Sunday that the group “reaffirms its commitment” to the agreement and was prepared “to engage seriously and responsibly in implementing” the 15-point plan.
The official called on mediators to ensure that all parties comply with the terms that had been agreed.
Netanyahu made clear that Israel would not accept a process in which withdrawal preceded disarmament, saying Hamas’ weapons must be surrendered in a verifiable manner.
He said it could not amount to “fictitious disarmament” and insisted that the process had to be genuine.
Netanyahu said discussions with US officials were continuing over how to proceed.
“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.
The disagreement poses a fresh challenge to Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, announced in September 2025.
The broader framework envisages Hamas’ disarmament, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, reconstruction of the devastated territory and oversight of implementation by the Board of Peace.
Trump recently described Hamas’ agreement in principle to disarm as a “monumental step toward lasting peace and security,” but the two sides remain divided over the sequencing of disarmament and Israeli withdrawal.
Netanyahu is also facing pressure from far-right members of his governing coalition to reject concessions over Gaza. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for a new Cabinet vote and dismissed the draft agreement as “not acceptable.”
Israel has continued carrying out strikes in Gaza despite agreeing to an initial ceasefire in October.
The war began following the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
More than 73,000 Palestinians have since been killed during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, while the United Nations estimates that around 1.9 million people — about 90% of Gaza’s population — have been displaced.
Source: Saudi Gazette