Israel Rejects Trump's 15-Point Gaza Peace Plan, Netanyahu Says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially rejects a 15-point American peace proposal for the Gaza Strip, declaring during a cabinet meeting on Sunday that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas undergoes a genuine disarmament. The decision directly challenges a diplomatic initiative championed by US President Donald Trump to resolve the conflict through a structured demilitarization and withdrawal process. Netanyahu insists that the Israeli military must maintain its presence to neutralize threats, halting the immediate implementation of the Washington-backed peace roadmap.

The core of the dispute lies in the sequencing of the peace plan. While the US-led Board of Peace recently announced an agreement for the comprehensive disarmament of Hamas, the militant group maintains that surrendering its heavy weaponry is contingent upon a total cessation of Israeli military operations and a complete troop withdrawal. Netanyahu dismisses any compromise that risks a "fictitious disarmament," asserting that Israel will continue its airstrikes and military operations, which have persisted since an initial ceasefire agreement last October, until verifiable security guarantees are met.

This diplomatic friction marks the latest setback for the White House's ambitious Gaza peace strategy, first unveiled in September of last year. The comprehensive blueprint outlines a multi-stage transition, starting with the establishment of an international Board of Peace to oversee the treaty's execution. The ultimate goals of the initiative include the total demilitarization of Gaza, the orderly exit of Israeli defense forces, and a massive international funding effort to reconstruct the devastated enclave. However, deep-seated mistrust between the warring parties continues to stall these transitional phases.

Domestically, Netanyahu faces intense political pressure that limits his room for diplomatic maneuver. With Israeli national elections approaching in the coming months, the prime minister is highly sensitive to the demands of his coalition's far-right flank, which vehemently opposes concessions. Key coalition partners, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have denounced the draft agreement as unacceptable and are actively lobbying for a cabinet vote to permanently scrap the American proposal, further complicating Netanyahu’s ongoing negotiations with US officials.

This public rejection delivers a significant blow to the foreign policy agenda of the Trump administration, which had previously hailed the disarmament framework as a historic milestone toward regional stability. By drawing a hard line on the sequence of disarmament and withdrawal, Israel effectively pauses the momentum generated by recent diplomatic breakthroughs. The impasse highlights the immense difficulty of mediating a conflict where both sides view the other's preliminary conditions as existential threats, leaving the international community with few viable alternatives to halt the violence.

Looking ahead, the prospects for a breakthrough remain dim as both sides prepare for a prolonged diplomatic stalemate. Netanyahu confirms that Israeli representatives are discussing alternative strategies with their American counterparts, though he emphasizes that Israel will firmly stand its ground against unacceptable terms. As military operations continue on the ground in Gaza and political campaigns heat up in Israel, the realization of a demilitarized territory and a coordinated reconstruction effort appears increasingly remote, pointing to a continued period of instability.

Originally reported by BBC World