Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, stating that no military pull-out will happen until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed.
Trump’s Board of Peace said last month it had reached an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
But Hamas said handing over its heavy weapons was contingent on Israel ending “all forms of aggression” and withdrawing its forces from Gaza.
Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Gaza since agreeing to an initial ceasefire in the territory last October.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
The Israeli military “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.
A Hamas official told the BBC on Sunday the group “reaffirms it commitment” to the agreement and it was ready “to engage seriously and responsibly in implementing” the 15-point plan.
They called on mediators to ensure “that all parties comply with what has been agreed”.
Israel’s rejection signals another blow for Trump’s Gaza peace plan which was announced in September last year.
The plan included the creation of the Board of Peace to oversee the agreement’s implementation, as well as the disarmament of Hamas, withdrawal of Israeli troops and reconstruction of Gaza.
Netanyahu’s statement does not come as a surprise.
But he has taken some time to make it, perhaps reflecting the difficult position the Israeli leader is in.
He clearly is unhappy with Trump’s plan but at the same time he will not want to upset his closest ally.
It’s just over a week since Trump announced what he called a “monumental step toward lasting peace and security” – that Hamas for the first time had agreed to disarm, on condition that Israel withdraws its forces from Gaza.
On Sunday, Netanyahu was clear that was not going to happen under his watch. He said Hamas had to disarm first, adding that it couldn’t be some “fictitious disarmament” – it had to be real.
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