Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a U.S.-backed proposal that would link the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza to a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces, potentially creating a new obstacle to Washington’s efforts to secure a lasting agreement over the war.
Speaking at the start of Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel would not accept the 15-point proposal presented by Washington and insisted that any Israeli withdrawal from Gaza must be tied to the “real disarmament” of Hamas.
Netanyahu said Israel’s definition of disarmament includes the removal of all Hamas weapons, from heavy weaponry to small arms.
He said Israeli officials were continuing discussions with their U.S. counterparts, but acknowledged that some elements of Washington’s proposal were acceptable to Israel while others were not.
The 15-point plan was prepared by the so-called Board of Peace under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. The proposal is intended to create a framework for ending the fighting, disarming Hamas and implementing a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Trump has previously described the proposal as an important step toward reaching a lasting agreement to end the Gaza war.
Netanyahu’s rejection, however, highlights a key disagreement between Washington and Jerusalem over the sequencing of the plan’s central provisions: whether Israeli forces should begin withdrawing before Hamas has been fully disarmed or only after the disarmament process has been completed.
Netanyahu has made clear that Israel favors the latter approach, saying Israeli forces will leave Gaza only once Israel is satisfied that Hamas has been genuinely disarmed.
The disagreement could complicate U.S. efforts to move the parties toward a broader agreement, particularly if Hamas and other Palestinian factions also reject key elements of the proposed framework.
U.S. officials have not yet issued an official response to Netanyahu’s rejection of the Washington-backed proposal.
