TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a 15-point US-backed plan aimed at disarming Hamas in exchange for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
“I want to be clear here — Israel is ruling out the 15-point document,” Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
The agreement, announced by US President Donald Trump last month, was negotiated between Hamas and Trump’s Board of Peace, which oversees the Gaza ceasefire.
Under the proposal, Hamas would surrender its weapons in stages to a new Palestinian administration. Israel would, in return, gradually withdraw from areas of Gaza it has controlled since the ceasefire last October.
Netanyahu demands full disarmament
Netanyahu said Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas had completely disarmed.
“Heavy weapons, lighter weapons, all weapons,” Netanyahu said, insisting Israel wanted “real disarmament”.
The Israeli government had previously expressed reservations about the agreement but had stopped short of rejecting it outright.
ALSO READ: Hamas Reaffirms Commitment to Completing 2nd Phase of Gaza Peace Plan
Senior Hamas official Husam Badran said Netanyahu’s decision showed Israel was the main obstacle to implementing the plan.
The proposal calls for Hamas to decommission and store its heavy weapons under the supervision of US-backed Palestinian technocrats. An international committee would also verify Israel’s compliance with the ceasefire.
The timeline and several details of the agreement remain unresolved. The document calls for a timetable for disarmament to be finalised within 14 days of approval by all parties.
Netanyahu’s rejection now raises fresh uncertainty over US efforts to advance the ceasefire process and reach a longer-term settlement in Gaza.
