Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally rejected a 15-point peace plan backed by the United States at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, saying Israel's military will remain in Gaza until Hamas disarms completely.
"Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu said at the cabinet meeting. The Israeli military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens," he added.
According to BBC News, Trump's Board of Peace said last month it had reached an agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. Trump announced the development as "a monumental step toward lasting peace and security." But Hamas said handing over its heavy weapons depended on Israel ending all aggression and withdrawing its forces from the territory.
Netanyahu pushed back directly on that framing. He said Hamas had to disarm before any Israeli withdrawal, and that the disarmament could not be some "fictitious disarmament." He said he was in ongoing discussions with U.S. officials about a path forward.
"They have ideas; some of them are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand our ground on these matters," he said.
Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Gaza since agreeing to an initial ceasefire last October. The rejection comes just months before Israeli elections, a period in which Netanyahu faces significant pressure from far-right coalition partners who have pushed for a harder line.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir dismissed the draft plan as "not acceptable" and called for a new cabinet vote to end the Gaza agreement entirely. Ben Gvir is among the far-right allies who have pressed Netanyahu to walk away from the plan altogether.
The 15-point framework, announced in September of last year, included the creation of the Board of Peace to oversee implementation, the disarmament of Hamas, a withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the reconstruction of Gaza. Its rejection by Israel represents a significant setback for the Trump administration's diplomatic effort in the region.
