Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, insisting that Israel will not withdraw its forces until Hamas is fully and genuinely disarmed.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel would continue to act against threats to its forces and civilians. He added that Israeli and US officials were holding discussions on how to move forward with the plan.
Trump’s Board of Peace said last month that it had reached an agreement aimed at securing the complete disarmament of Hamas in Gaza. Hamas, however, has said that any surrender of its heavy weapons would depend on Israel ending all forms of military aggression and withdrawing its forces from the territory.
The disagreement comes despite an initial ceasefire agreement reached last October. Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza since the agreement, while both sides remain divided over the conditions for a lasting ceasefire and Hamas’s disarmament.
