Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a U.S. ceasefire and peace plan for Gaza during a cabinet meeting on Sunday [1, 2].
The rejection creates a significant diplomatic rift between Israel and the administration of President Donald Trump, especially as Hamas has already stated it accepts the terms [1, 2, 3].
Netanyahu said the Israeli military will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed [2]. The prime minister said the proposal does not adequately address the necessity of removing Hamas's military capabilities before Israeli forces leave the territory [1, 2, 3].
"No withdrawal until Hamas is truly disarmed," Netanyahu said [1].
The U.S. proposal consists of 15 points [4]. While the plan was unveiled with significant fanfare by the U.S. government, the Israeli leadership maintains that the conditions for a permanent peace cannot be met without the total disarmament of the militant group [3].
Diplomatic officials previously indicated a similar stance regarding the troop presence in the region. One official said there will be no Israeli withdrawal [3].
This latest development follows weeks of international pressure to secure a ceasefire. The disagreement centers on the sequence of events, specifically whether a ceasefire and withdrawal must precede or follow the disarmament of Hamas [1, 2].
“"No withdrawal until Hamas is truly disarmed."”
The deadlock highlights a fundamental disagreement over the security architecture of a post-war Gaza. By rejecting a plan accepted by Hamas, Israel is signaling that it views the total neutralization of Hamas's military wing as a non-negotiable prerequisite for any troop withdrawal, regardless of U.S. diplomatic pressure.
