Netanyahu Defies Trump, Rejects 15-Point Gaza Deal Over Hamas Disarmament
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly rejected a US-backed 15-point peace proposal for Gaza, putting him at odds with President Donald Trump over how to end the conflict.
In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, Netanyahu dismissed suggestions that Israel was preparing to withdraw from Gaza or make concessions under American pressure.
He insisted that Israel would not pull back its forces unless Hamas was completely disarmed.
“Israel does not accept the 15-point document. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed,” Netanyahu said.
He stressed that Israel’s demand covered Hamas’ entire arsenal, adding: “And when I say the disarming of Hamas, it means heavy weaponry, lighter weaponry, all weaponry.
And we are talking about genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament. Right now, we are talking with the Americans about this issue.”
The disagreement centres on a proposal put forward by Trump’s Board of Peace in July.
The plan calls for Hamas to surrender its weapons in return for a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, followed eventually by the transfer of administration to an independent Palestinian National Committee.
Trump had proposed implementing the agreement gradually. Netanyahu, however, made clear that he wanted Hamas fully disarmed before Israel would carry out the withdrawal envisaged under the plan.
The Israeli prime minister also criticised what he described as American efforts to bring an end to conflicts involving Israel without first securing Israel’s agreement.
His remarks come at a particularly sensitive time for both leaders. Netanyahu is facing elections in October and pressure from hardliners within his governing coalition, while Trump is attempting to advance his administration’s efforts to broker settlements in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
Israel had previously expressed reservations about the Gaza proposal. After Trump unveiled the plan last month, Netanyahu’s office said the publicly released version did not represent Israel’s position.
Sunday’s statement, however, went considerably further, with Netanyahu directly challenging the notion that Israel should accept pressure even from Washington.
“Unlike all those who lecture us, we do what needs to be done for Israel’s security, and we can and know how to stand our ground, even against our best friends when necessary,” he said.
The disagreement comes as fighting continues in Gaza despite a ceasefire brokered last October.
Israeli military operations have continued in the territory, with an Israeli strike last Sunday reported to have killed 18 people.
Trump’s Board of Peace has defended the proposal despite Netanyahu’s rejection. Nickolay Mladenov, the board’s high representative for Gaza, said on Israeli television that the plan remained the “only way forward”.
The latest dispute marks an unusually public disagreement between Trump and Netanyahu, whose close political relationship has been central to Washington’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It also raises fresh questions over whether the US administration can persuade Israel to accept a phased withdrawal from Gaza while Netanyahu continues to make Hamas’ complete disarmament a condition for any Israeli military pullback.
