Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Plan Backed by Trump, Demands Full Disarmament of Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a Gaza plan backed by US President Donald Trump , saying Israeli forces will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas is fully disarmed. The rejection puts Netanyahu at odds with a key element of Trump’s proposal, which envisages a phased Israeli withdrawal linked to the demilitarisation of Gaza. At a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said, “Israel rejects the 15-point document,” referring to a plan that was endorsed by Hamas last month. The Israeli army “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens,” he added. Trump, last month, had announced a breakthrough in his Gaza plan, saying that Hamas has agreed to lay down arms. However, the Board of Peace had proposed a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza alongside the disarmament of Hamas. Netanyahu, at the cabinet meeting, said the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas completely disarms. “When I say Hamas must be disarmed, I mean heavy weapons, lighter weapons, all weapons. We are talking about genuine disarmament, not a fictitious one,” the Israeli prime minister said. Hamas has said it is prepared to discuss disarmament, but has linked the process to a complete Israeli withdrawal, an end to hostilities and other conditions. The militant group added that disarming heavy weapons would come later in the process, which also depends on the condition of the establishment of a Palestinian state, NBC News reported. About two months before Israeli elections, PM Netanyahu is unlikely to make any concessions as he reaffirmed that “as long as I am Prime Minister, there will be no Palestinian State.” Here’s the verbatim proposal of the Gaza peace plan endorsed by President Trump to end the conflict: