- Netanyahu said Israel did not agree to the draft terms and would not withdraw until Hamas is completely disarmed; he said Israel sent back its comments.
- Israeli officials insisted there could be no movement before full disarmament: spokesperson Doron Spielman said 'nothing can happen before Hamas completely and truly disarms,' Energy Minister Eli Cohen was 'very sceptical,' and Defence Minister Israel Katz said troops would not move until Hamas disarms and its tunnels are destroyed.
- Hamas rejects the word 'disarmament' but has said it will hand over its weapons for storage under a US-backed Palestinian administration after Israel halts operations and withdraws.
- Trump hailed a proposal under which Hamas would give up its weapons and Israel would pull back from Gaza in phases, saying Israel was 'very happy' about it but complications soon emerged over the order of de-escalation.
- The Board of Peace described Monday’s meeting with Netanyahu and Gaza envoy Nikolay Mladenov as 'constructive and detailed' and said the goal was the complete decommissioning of weapons and a transition to civilian governance.
- Under the initial deal Israel was supposed to pull back to the Yellow Line separating 47 per cent of Palestinian-controlled land from 53 per cent held by Israel, but instead increased its area of control to around two-thirds; the Board said full withdrawal beyond the Yellow Line would occur only after decommissioning is complete.
- Trump met with Netanyahu in Washington last Tuesday, but the issue of Gaza did not come up during the meeting, according to an Israeli political source cited by Reuters.
- Netanyahu faces an election in October and is likely to rely on support from right-wing partners apprehensive about the peace process with Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly rejected President Trump's Gaza peace plan, stating that Israel will not withdraw its forces until Hamas is completely disarmed. In a press conference, Netanyahu emphasized, “President Trump thinks - or his team thinks - that they can get Hamas to disarm and demilitarise Gaza. We are looking into it.”126781516
The Board of Peace had previously described a meeting with Netanyahu as “constructive and detailed,” but complications arose when Israeli officials indicated that military withdrawal would not commence until Hamas relinquishes its weapons. Hamas, on the other hand, has stated it will not disarm until Israel ceases its attacks.91011
The initial peace deal proposed a phased Israeli withdrawal to a demarcation known as the Yellow Line, which would separate Palestinian and Israeli-controlled territories. However, Israel has expanded its control to approximately two-thirds of the area instead of withdrawing.121314
A spokesperson for Netanyahu's office reiterated that Israel's primary concern is that “nothing can happen before Hamas completely and truly disarms.” Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen expressed skepticism about Hamas's willingness to disarm, while Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that troops would not move until Hamas disarms and its tunnels are destroyed.345
As Netanyahu faces an election in October, he is likely to depend on support from right-wing partners who are wary of the peace process with Hamas, complicating the situation further.
“The Board of Peace called its Monday meeting with the Israeli premier and envoy Nikolay Mladenov 'constructive and detailed,' though full IDF withdrawal beyond the Yellow Line now hinges on completed decommissioning. Hamas rejects the word 'disarmament' but would store weapons under a US-backed Palestinian administration after Israel halts operations.”
The Independent
