Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, saying Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel “rejects the 15-point document” and that the Israeli military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed”. He added that Israel would continue to “thwart threats against our forces and our citizens”. Withdrawal tied to Hamas disarmamentThe position marks another setback for Trump’s proposal, which was announced in September and centres on disarmament, an Israeli troop withdrawal and reconstruction in Gaza. Netanyahu said discussions were under way with US officials about how to proceed. He said some ideas were acceptable to Israel and others were not, adding that Israel intended to “stand our ground” on key points. He also faced pressure from members of his right-wing coalition to adopt a harder line on Gaza, and there have been calls from far-right figures to vote again in the cabinet and end the plan. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir dismissed the draft as “not acceptable”. Hamas conditions on “ending aggression”Trump’s administration had said its plan would rely on an agreement reached last month for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, overseen by a US-led structure described as the Board of Peace. Hamas, however, said any handover of heavy weapons would depend on Israel ending “all forms of aggression” and withdrawing its forces from Gaza. A Hamas official told the BBC on Sunday that the group “reaffirms it commitment” to the agreement and was ready “to engage seriously and responsibly in implementing” the 15-point plan. The official called on mediators to ensure “that all parties comply with what has been agreed”. Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza since agreeing to an initial ceasefire in the territory last October. US envoy defends the approachNickolay Mladenov, a senior diplomat tasked with implementing Trump’s Gaza plan, defended the proposal on Sunday and said talks were ongoing in the hope of a “positive outcome”. In comments to Israel’s Channel 12, Mladenov said Israel had been asked “to give the process a chance” and that the plan was “the only way forward” to prevent a repeat of the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas. He said the draft is designed as a process that is “verifiable” and “reversible”, adding that it could be stopped at each stage. Mladenov also said Israel would not be required to withdraw until it could be verified that Hamas had taken steps towards disarmament. Conflict and displacementThe war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage, according to Israeli statements. More than 1.9 million people, or 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced since the war began, according to the United Nations. The Gaza health ministry has reported that more than 73,000 people have been killed; the UN considers the figures reliable. Join the discussion? 10 August 2026
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