Netanyahu firmly rejects Trump-backed Gaza plan, insists on full Hamas disarmament first

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected on Sunday the 15-point Gaza settlement plan drafted by Trump's Peace Council, which Hamas had endorsed in late July. Netanyahu stated that Israel does not accept the document.

The prime minister stressed that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas is genuinely and fully disarmed. He added that troops will continue operating to prevent threats to Israeli soldiers and civilians.

The plan and its shift

The original plan proposed by the Trump administration envisioned Hamas handing over its weapons to a newly formed Palestinian governing authority, with Israeli troop withdrawal proceeding in parallel with the group's disarmament. Israel had objected to this approach previously.

Following Netanyahu's meeting with Trump's Peace Council on August 3, the council changed its position, announcing that Israel would only need to withdraw troops after disarmament was fully completed.

Talks with the US and Hamas's response

Netanyahu said Israel continues discussing its objections to the plan with the United States. According to him, some US proposals are acceptable to Israel while others are not, and Israel knows how to defend its position on these issues. He emphasized that the goal is genuine disarmament, not a symbolic one.

Hamas, for its part, publicly condemned the shift in position by Trump's Peace Council. The group stressed that its acceptance of the original Trump peace plan was strictly conditioned on the process being gradual and parallel, not on unilateral disarmament preceding an Israeli troop withdrawal. Hamas leadership emphasized it remains committed to the original plan, saying it serves the national interests of the Palestinian people.