Netanyahu Rejects Trump’s 15-Point Gaza Peace Plan, Demands Hamas Fully Disarm Before Israeli Withdrawal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected President Donald Trump’s 15-point Gaza peace proposal Sunday, declaring that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas has been completely disarmed.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said during a cabinet meeting. He insisted that the Israel Defense Forces will remain in Gaza until Hamas is “truly disarmed” and said Israeli troops will continue acting against threats to Israeli forces and civilians.
The rejection represents a significant obstacle for Trump’s latest effort to bring the Gaza conflict to a lasting conclusion. The president announced last month that a breakthrough had been reached on a framework involving the disarmament of Hamas, a phased Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force alongside a new Palestinian police force.
The central disagreement is over which side must act first. Netanyahu wants Hamas fully disarmed before Israeli troops begin withdrawing, while the American-backed proposal calls for Israeli forces to withdraw from portions of Gaza as the disarmament process is completed.
Hamas, meanwhile, has insisted that Israeli military operations must stop and Israeli troops must withdraw as part of the process. The group has agreed to place its weapons under the control of a U.S.-backed technocratic administration, but major disagreements remain over what constitutes complete disarmament and how the process would be verified.
Netanyahu also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying one will not be created in Gaza or the West Bank while he remains prime minister. His position puts another potential point of friction between Israel and the broader diplomatic framework being pursued by the Trump administration.
The dispute comes despite the historically close relationship between Trump and Netanyahu. Trump has increasingly pushed for progress toward ending the Gaza conflict, while Netanyahu is facing pressure from members of his governing coalition who oppose concessions involving Hamas or an Israeli withdrawal.
Netanyahu is also campaigning ahead of Israel’s October election, adding another political dimension to the dispute. Hardline members of his coalition have demanded that Hamas be completely dismantled before Gaza is reconstructed or Israeli forces relinquish control of territory.
Trump’s proposal is intended to move the region beyond the ceasefire framework established in 2025 and toward a more permanent settlement. But Netanyahu’s rejection makes clear that Israel and Hamas remain divided over the fundamental sequence of disarmament and withdrawal, leaving the president’s latest push for a lasting Gaza agreement facing a major new hurdle.