Israel rejects Trump-backed 15-point Gaza plan and says no withdrawal before Hamas disarms
Israel has rejected a 15-point Gaza plan backed by United States President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday. He said Israeli forces would not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed. The statement marks a fresh setback for efforts to define the next stage of the ceasefire framework.
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Netanyahu said, "Israel rejects the 15-point document," referring to the proposal endorsed last month by Hamas. He added that 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." The remarks came as Israel continued to carry out near-daily attacks across the Gaza Strip despite the ceasefire agreement reached with Hamas last October. The comments are significant because they underline a continuing gap between the parties over the sequence of any Israeli pullback and the disarmament of Hamas.
Last week, the US-led Board of Peace said an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would only take place after Hamas disarmament was complete. That position followed a meeting between the body's director, Nickolay Mladenov, and Netanyahu, suggesting the issue remains central to the diplomatic process. The dispute matters because the timing of withdrawal is one of the most sensitive questions in the Gaza ceasefire talks.
Any agreement on security arrangements, governance and reconstruction is likely to depend on whether Israel accepts a phased pullback or insists on disarmament first. The latest rejection also shows that the ceasefire framework remains fragile, with military activity continuing on the ground while diplomacy remains unresolved. The Board of Peace proposal is part of a wider effort to shape post-war arrangements in Gaza, but the available details show that key elements remain contested.
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Hamas has already endorsed the plan referenced by Netanyahu, while Israel is insisting on conditions that would delay any withdrawal. That leaves the future of the ceasefire process tied to a dispute over who controls security in the territory and when Israeli forces would leave. What remains unclear is whether the rejection will lead to a new round of negotiations or further harden positions on both sides.
It is also not yet clear how the Board of Peace or other mediators will respond to Israel's refusal to accept the document. For now, the main issue to watch is whether the ceasefire framework can survive while attacks continue and the question of disarmament remains unresolved.
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