Netanyahu rejects Trump's 15-point Gaza plan
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza, insisting troops will not withdraw until Hamas is genuinely disarmed, dealing a new setback to Trump's peace initiative.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that Israel is rejecting the 15-point plan for Gaza put forward by US President Donald Trump. He stated that the Israeli military will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed.
Trump's Board of Peace announced last month that an agreement had been reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups operating in Gaza. However, Hamas has said that surrendering its heavy weapons depends on Israel ending "all forms of aggression" and pulling its forces out of the territory first.
Netanyahu insisted that disarmament must come before any troop withdrawal, warning against what he called a "fictitious" disarmament process. He said discussions with US officials on how to proceed are now underway, and that Israeli forces would continue acting against threats to troops and civilians.
Background
Israel has kept carrying out strikes in Gaza since an initial ceasefire took hold in the territory last October. Last month, Trump described Hamas's acceptance of a disarmament plan as a major step toward lasting peace and security in the region.
With Israeli elections due in the coming months, observers note that Netanyahu is unlikely to want to make concessions. His rejection is seen as another setback for Trump's broader Gaza peace plan, which was first announced in September of last year.
