Netanyahu Has Rejected Trump's Gaza Peace Plan And Said Israel Will Not Withdraw Until Hamas Disarms
"As long as I am prime minister, a Palestinian state will not be established, not in Gaza and not in the West Bank," Netanyahu said.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US president Donald Trump's 15-point plan for ending the war on Gaza, saying Israel's military will not withdraw from the Strip until Hamas is disarmed.
On Oct. 10, Israel and Hamas agreed to a “ceasefire,” with the first phase including a pause in fighting and a hostage exchange.
For months, the second phase of the “ceasefire,” which includes Israel withdrawing from Gaza and Hamas disarming, has stalled over who should act first.
On July 30, Trump announced a breakthrough, saying his Board of Peace (BoP) had reached an agreement with a 15-point plan that laid out a phased process for the “complete disarmament” of armed groups in Gaza, including Hamas.
Under the plan, Hamas would gradually hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian committee that would govern Gaza, starting with weapons held by police and moving to heavier weapons and tunnels, while Israel's military gradually withdrew at the same time.
However, Israel is not a signatory and has not officially responded to the agreement.
An Israeli official said at the time Israel would not withdraw before Hamas disarms and Gaza is demilitarized.
Another armed group in Gaza, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, also said it has reservations about the wording of the agreement and disputed early reports describing it as a done deal.
On Sunday, July 9, Netanyahu told his cabinet that Israel rejects Trump’s 15-point document, adding that Israel's military will not withdraw until Hamas is disarmed.
"As long as I am prime minister, a Palestinian state will not be established, not in Gaza and not in the West Bank," he said.
The White House had not responded publicly to Netanyahu’s rejection.
Hamas said it remains committed to the plan and called on mediators to prevent any violations that could derail the process.
Analysts say the BoP has limited power to move the plan forward without Israel's cooperation, and that Netanyahu's public rejection puts the entire sequencing of the plan back into question, according to Al Jazeera.
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
