Netanyahu Rejects Trump's Gaza Plan, As US Pushes To End Wars In Gaza, Iran, Lebanon

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point Gaza peace plan, declaring that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not withdraw from any part of the Gaza Strip until Hamas is "genuinely disarmed."

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said, "Israel rejects the 15-point document," emphasizing that any disarmament must include "heavy weapons, lighter weapons, all weapons" and cannot be "fictitious."

Netanyahu also vowed that "as long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established," rejecting the plan's implications for governance in both Gaza and the West Bank.

The core disagreement centers on the sequence of actions outlined in the proposal by Trump's "Board of Peace." The US-backed plan envisioned a phased process where Hamas would surrender weapons to a new Palestinian technocratic administration in tandem with a gradual Israeli withdrawal.

Netanyahu adamantly opposes this simultaneity, insisting that no reconstruction or withdrawal can begin before the "complete dismantling and demobilization" of Hamas. While Hamas agreed to the roadmap to spare Gaza further war, it conditioned its implementation on Israel first halting attacks and withdrawing forces.

Political and diplomatic tensions inform Netanyahu's decision as he faces pressure from his Zionist extremist coalition ahead of October elections, political observers say.

Despite calling Trump a friend, Netanyahu asserted Israel's independence, stating, "We know how to stand our ground" on matters where US ideas are unacceptable to Israel.

Following Israel's pushback, the Board of Peace reportedly adjusted its language to suggest Israeli withdrawal would occur only after Hamas's disarmament is completed, though Netanyahu maintains the current document is still rejected. Hamas called on Trump to pressure Netanyahu to abide by the originally plan.

The disagreement comes as the gaps between Israeli and US interests widen. CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper on his recent visit to the region, reportedly conveyed to Israeli leaders that the US is interested in ending the war in the three active theaters - Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.

In Lebanon, the US reportedly wants the IDF to withdraw from additional points in the security zone in the south of the country, and in Gaza, to see progress, an end to assassinations and the entry of the multinational force, which now includes several hundred soldiers from Morocco and Uganda.

Netanyahu reportedly spoke on the phone with President Trump's envoy Jared Kushner and promised to give the 15-point plan a chance despite his skepticism and curb attacks on Gaza so that the process of demilirarization of Gaza can begin. Since then Israeli attacks on Gaza have decreased and the IDF is reportedly gradually moving back to the Yellow Line.

The Whote House is reportedly "not bothered" by Netanyahu's statement on the Gaza plan and sees it as part of the election season in Israel, saying they "have no problem with it as long as he continues to do what we ask - especially regarding restraining attacks in Gaza."