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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a Gaza peace plan backed by US President Donald Trump, saying Israel would not withdraw its forces until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed.
Netanyahu’s remarks came after more than a week of growing criticism of the proposal and mounting pressure from his right-wing allies ahead of elections.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, referring to the plan endorsed by Hamas in late July.
He stressed that the Israeli military would not withdraw until Hamas had been fully disarmed.
“The 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.
The proposal is the latest phase of a US-led ceasefire arrangement announced in October that has reduced, but not ended, Israeli military operations in Gaza. Under the plan, Hamas would surrender its weapons to an emerging Palestinian governing body.
The proposal calls for Israel to begin withdrawing its forces alongside the disarmament process. Israel has strongly opposed that approach and has demanded that Hamas completely dismantle its weapons arsenal.
Following a meeting with Netanyahu last week, the US-backed body overseeing the agreement, known as the Board of Peace, appeared to soften its position, saying Israel would only be required to withdraw after “complete” disarmament.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, is facing pressure from far-right allies to hold another cabinet vote and abandon the Gaza plan. Opinion polls also indicate a close race ahead of the elections.
Netanyahu said Israel was discussing its objections with Washington.
“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.
He insisted that Hamas must surrender all its weapons, despite members of the Board of Peace arguing that such a goal may not be realistically achievable.
“We are talking about real disarmament, not fictitious disarmament,” Netanyahu said.
