Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point peace plan for Gaza, saying Israel will not withdraw its troops until Hamas is fully disarmed.
Netanyahu made the position clear at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, according to the BBC.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document. 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,” Netanyahu said.
The plan, announced by Trump in September 2025, calls for Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza to surrender their weapons, followed by an Israeli military withdrawal and the reconstruction of the territory under the supervision of Trump’s Board of Peace.
Hamas has said it is prepared to implement the agreement but maintains that the handover of its heavy weapons depends on Israel ending its military operations and withdrawing its forces from Gaza.
A Hamas official told the BBC on Sunday that the group “reaffirms its commitment” to the agreement and is ready to engage in its implementation.
The group also urged mediators to ensure that all sides comply with the terms of the agreement.
Netanyahu, however, said Israel would not accept what he described as “fictitious disarmament” by Hamas. He insisted that the group must genuinely surrender its weapons before any Israeli withdrawal takes place.
The Israeli prime minister also said he was in discussions with US officials over the next steps, adding that Israel agreed with some of the proposals but rejected others.
“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,” Netanyahu said.
The disagreement could complicate efforts to implement the Gaza agreement, particularly because Hamas’ disarmament and the Israeli military withdrawal are closely linked.
Trump had described Hamas’ reported agreement to disarm as a major step towards ending the conflict. His plan also proposed the establishment of a Board of Peace to oversee the implementation of the agreement, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the reconstruction of Gaza.
The Gaza war began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 people being taken hostage, according to Israeli figures.
Israel subsequently launched a military campaign in Gaza. The territory’s health ministry says more than 73,000 people have been killed since the war began.
The United Nations considers the ministry’s casualty figures reliable and estimates that about 1.9 million people, or roughly 90 percent of Gaza’s population, have been displaced by the conflict.
