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Israel has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the Israeli military will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document. The IDF 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 at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
The move came a day after Hamas said it was ready to proceed with the US-backed framework and move to its second phase, provided Israel also began implementing its commitments under the agreement.
“Hamas and other factions have confirmed to mediators their readiness to begin implementing the agreement and move to the second phase, provided it receives Israeli approval and that Israel begins implementing the agreement,” a Hamas official told AFP on Saturday.
Why is Israel rejecting the 15-point plan?
The 15-point document is intended to guide the next phase of the US-backed Gaza framework, including Hamas’s disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Under the proposal, Hamas would surrender its weapons to an emerging Palestinian governing body in the war-battered territory. Israel would then begin withdrawing its forces in tandem with the disarmament process.
That sequence is unacceptable to Netanyahu, who has insisted that Hamas must first be fully disarmed before Israel carries out any military withdrawal.
Netanyahu said Israel was continuing discussions with Washington over its objections.
“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 also stressed that Hamas must give up all its weapons.
“We are talking about real disarmament, not fictitious disarmament,” Netanyahu said.
Hamas says it is ready to move to phase two
Hamas endorsed the latest stage of the US-backed framework in late July and reiterated its willingness to proceed on Saturday.
The group said its readiness was conditional on Israel approving the agreement and implementing its own obligations, including the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The disagreement centres on the order in which the plan’s commitments should be carried out. Hamas has signalled that it is prepared to move to the next phase if Israel implements its commitments, while Netanyahu insists that Hamas must be completely disarmed before any Israeli military withdrawal.
Trump’s Board of Peace later said Israel would only be required to withdraw after the “complete” disarmament of Hamas.
Netanyahu nevertheless explicitly rejected the 15-point document, saying Israel would not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.
Netanyahu’s rejection also comes as he faces pressure from the right wing of his governing coalition to take a tougher position on the Gaza framework.
His far-right allies have called for a fresh cabinet vote and an end to the Gaza plan, opposing provisions that could eventually lead to an Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza.
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