Why Netanyahu’s ‘coup’ against Gaza plan risks endless war
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x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is 'genuinely disarmed' [File: Ilia Yefimovich/Pool via Reuters] By Mohammad Mansour Published On 10 Aug 2026 10 Aug 2026 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a United States-led roadmap for Gaza has raised urgent questions about the fragile peace process and the prolonging of suffering for more than two million Palestinians in the territory.
The US-brokered 15-point plan mandates that Hamas would disarm in exchange for a phased Israeli military withdrawal and the transition of governance to a technocratic Palestinian committee backed by an international security force.
Since US President Donald Trump announced his peace plan for Gaza last year, Israel has continued near-daily deadly attacks in violation of a “ceasefire” deal. Rather than deploying its forces, it now maintains military control of more than 70 percent of the Strip. And on Sunday, just weeks before Israel’s crucial elections, Netanyahu effectively paralysed the diplomatic process by insisting that Israeli troops will not withdraw until Hamas is “genuinely disarmed”.
In Gaza, Netanyahu’s declaration sent shockwaves, extinguishing recent optimism and raising the prospect of intense attacks.
“There is a form of fear, unfortunately, because the matter is linked to Netanyahu possibly undertaking steps to return to assassination operations, bombing operations and targeting operations near the yellow areas,” said Gaza-based political analyst Eyad al-Qarra, referring to the unilaterally imposed “Yellow Line”, the effective Israeli buffer zone squeezing Palestinians into smaller areas.
The Gaza Government Media Office echoed the grim outlook, viewing the rejection as a deliberate tactic to continue the war.
“These positions represent a clear and explicit coup against the negotiation path and its outcomes, deliberately obstruct the path to calm, and greatly reinforce the state of humanitarian deterioration,” it said in a statement.
The office added that Netanyahu’s statement proves Israel “takes the negotiation path as a false political cover to buy time, pass its destructive projects, and continue the war of genocide against defenceless civilians.”
The rejection places the US-brokered ceasefire on the brink of total collapse.
Following Netanyahu’s statement, Hamas affirmed its commitment to the diplomatic process under the US-led Board of Peace and International Stabilization Force while demanding accountability.
“We call on the mediators, the guarantors, and the Board of Peace to assume their responsibilities, ensure the commitment of all parties to what was agreed upon, and prevent any breaches or violations that would disrupt the implementation path or undermine the ceasefire agreement,” it said in a statement.
Al-Qarra warned that if mediators fail to pressure Israel, Palestinians might face “the worst option, which is announcing practically the end of these negotiations after Netanyahu’s rejection and coup against them”.
As the implications for Gaza’s future become apparent, the diplomatic fallout has triggered a sharp regional backlash.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, warned that the threat of forced displacement of Gaza’s population remains actively on the table.
“The so-called ‘voluntary displacement’ cannot be considered voluntary if they create conditions that make life inside the Strip impossible,” Abdelatty said in statements carried by Egyptian media, stressing that pushing the population to leave under such conditions is a “red line” for Egypt, Arab and Islamic countries.
Abdelatty emphasised that Egypt “will not accept and will not allow” displacement to occur, while also criticising the failure to implement the first phase of the agreement, including achieving the minimum target of 600 aid trucks entering Gaza daily.
Political analysts argue that Netanyahu’s demand for full disarmament prior to any withdrawal is not a genuine security requirement, but an intentional mechanism to block the agreement’s implementation.
Mahjoob Zweiri, an academic and expert in Middle East politics, noted that Netanyahu is fundamentally driven by a desire to prevent any return to a functional Palestinian society.
“He does not want Gaza to be as it was on the sixth of October 2023. Meaning: no rule for Hamas, no rule for the Palestinians, no weapons, no normal life. In other words, transforming Gaza into an area unfit for life,” said Zweiri.
He also pointed out that setting complete disarmament as an absolute prerequisite is an impossible condition by design.
“Israel knows deeply that the issue of ending weapons in an environment like the environment of Gaza or even Lebanon is almost an impossible matter,” he said, citing the lack of a weapons database and the absence of a trusted neutral party.
Zweiri also warned of potential US reaction, predicting “an expected diplomatic storm” and “a kind of diplomatic clash” between Netanyahu and Trump.
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