Israel has rejected a 15-point plan proposed by former US President Donald Trump for Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that no military withdrawal will occur until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed.
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. However, Hamas indicated that handing over its heavy weapons was conditional on Israel ending "all forms of aggression" and withdrawing its forces from Gaza.
On Sunday, a senior Board of Peace official asserted that the US-backed peace plan for the territory remained the only viable path forward. Israel has continued its strikes on Gaza since agreeing to an initial ceasefire in the territory last October.
"Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu stated at a cabinet meeting on Sunday. He added, "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."
A Hamas official informed the BBC on Sunday that the group "reaffirms its commitment" to the agreement and is ready "to engage seriously and responsibly in implementing" the 15-point plan. They urged mediators to ensure "that all parties comply with what has been agreed."
Israel's rejection represents another setback for Trump's Gaza peace plan, which was unveiled in September of the previous year. The plan included the establishment of the Board of Peace to oversee the agreement's implementation, along with the disarmament of Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Netanyahu's statement is not surprising, but his delay in making it might reflect his challenging position. He appears unhappy with Trump's plan but is also keen not to alienate his closest ally.
Just over a week ago, Trump had announced what he described as a "monumental step toward lasting peace and security" – that Hamas had agreed to disarm for the first time, on the condition that Israel withdraws its forces from Gaza. On Sunday, Netanyahu made it clear this would not happen under his leadership, emphasizing that Hamas must disarm first, and that it must be a real disarmament, not a fictitious one.
The reality is that any disarmament and withdrawal of Israeli forces would likely need to be phased. Netanyahu mentioned he is currently discussing with US officials 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.
However, with Israeli elections just months away and facing pressure from members of his right-wing coalition to adopt a firm stance on Gaza, Netanyahu is unlikely to make concessions. He has faced calls from the far-right elements of his coalition to hold a new cabinet vote and end the Gaza plan, including from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who dismissed the draft as "not acceptable."
Nickolay Mladenov, a senior diplomat tasked with implementing Donald Trump's peace plan, defended the plan on Sunday, stating that discussions are ongoing in the hope of a "positive outcome." The board's high representative for Gaza told Israel's Channel 12 that Israel had been asked "to give the process a chance" and that the plan was "the only way forward" to prevent a recurrence of the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas.
Mladenov explained that the plan is based on a process that is "verifiable, that is reversible, that at each stage can be stopped, and that we have built up with a very clear-eyed understanding of what are the challenges ahead." He also noted that Israel would not be required to withdraw until it could be verified that Hamas was taking steps to disarm.
According to the United Nations, approximately 1.9 million people – 90% of Gaza's population – have been displaced within the territory since the war in Gaza began. The war was initiated by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which the territory's health ministry reports that over 73,000 people have been killed, figures considered reliable by the United Nations.
Additional reporting by Jack Burgess.
