Netanyahu, at odds with Trump, rejects Gaza peace plan
Deutsche Welle · LC · trust 42/100
The Israeli prime minister says his country will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas fully disarms, setting himself against a US-backed roadmap endorsed by the group.
https://p.dw.com/p/5IWxW Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the latest US-backed Gaza plan, saying Hamas must fully disarm before Israeli troops withdraw [FILE: June 15, 2026] Image: Ronen Zvulun/AP Photo/picture alliance Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected US President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza , saying Israeli troops would not withdraw from the territory until Hamas was fully disarmed.
"Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting, referring to the US-backed roadmap agreed to by Hamas in late July.
The Israeli military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed," Netanyahu said, adding that this included "heavy weaponry, lighter weaponry, all weaponry."
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Netanyahu said Israel remained in talks with Washington despite its objections. He described Trump as "our greatest friend in the White House," but added: "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."
The White House did not immediately comment.
Trump announced last month that there had been a breakthrough on a 15-point roadmap aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip.
The plan drawn up by his Board of Peace calls for Israeli troops to withdraw as Hamas gives up its weapons. An International Stabilization Force would then work alongside a new Palestinian police force to secure Gaza.
Trump hails 'complete disarmament' of Hamas To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States , the European Union and several other countries.
The group has avoided using the term "disarmament." It says it agreed to hand over its weapons for storage under a US-backed Palestinian technocratic administration that would govern Gaza under the supervision of the Board of Peace.
Hamas has said implementation also depends on Israel meeting its obligations , including withdrawing troops and halting attacks.
"We expect the mediators and the American guarantor to pressure Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap, and not obstruct the process for internal political and electoral reasons," Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim said.
Hamas said Sunday it remained committed to the roadmap.
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, said Israel would face no obligations until Hamas had surrendered all its weapons, including assault rifles.
However, Mladenov told Israel's Channel 12 that Israeli troops would eventually have to withdraw "sector by sector" once Hamas' weapons had been collected and rendered unusable.
"The option we are offering today is the only way forward that ensures this tragedy does not happen again," he said, referring to the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Mladenov said discussions with Israel were continuing and that he hoped for a "positive outcome."
The disagreement comes at a politically sensitive moment for Netanyahu ahead of elections scheduled for October 27, Israel's first national vote since the Hamas led attacks that sparked an ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
The prime minister is running level with or behind rivals in some polls and faces pressure from far-right members of his government who oppose concessions to Hamas.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed Netanyahu's position.
"We went to war with a central goal: the destruction of Hamas," he said. "The [military] cannot withdraw even a millimetre from the Gaza Strip."
The dispute is the latest sign of differences between Netanyahu and Trump. The two leaders are considered as close allies, but have recently disagreed over how to deal with the conflicts in Iran , Lebanon and Gaza.
The Gaza roadmap builds on a US-mediated ceasefire reached in October 2025.
Gaza health officials say more than 1,250 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since then. The Israeli military says five of its soldiers have been killed during the same period.
Despite the ongoing negotiations over the roadmap, Israeli forces continue to control large parts of Gaza, while most of the enclave's more than 2 million residents have been displaced and are living in a much smaller coastal area, many in tents or damaged buildings.
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