Netanyahu Rejects Trump's Gaza Peace Deal, Demands Hamas's 'Genuine Disarmament'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (August 9) dismissed the peace deal on Gaza announced by United States President Donald Trump last month, saying Israel’s military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.”
Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that “Israel rejects the 15-point document” but is still discussing plans for Gaza with Washington, after making similar comments last week.
"Israel does not accept the 15-point document. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed. 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,” he said, according to The Guardian.
Trump's Board of Peace had proposed the peace deal in July. It laid down the plan for Hamas's disarmament in exchange for a full military withdrawal by Israel from the Gaza strip. The document also talked about an eventual transfer of power to an independent Palestinian National Committee.
Opposing Trump's proposed peace deal, which was to be implemented in stages, Netanyahu demanded an absolute disarmament before going forward with the agreement.
Israel had earlier hinted that it would not back the deal. As per The Guardian, Netanyahu's office had previously expressed discontent over the agreement, saying "the version that has been made public does not reflect Israel’s positions." The country had also ramped up hostilities and bombardment in Palestinian territory.
Talking about the now-rejected document, Netanyahu said, "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." His comments were widely perceived as a direct hit at Trump, who has been backing Israel's genocide in Palestine since 2023.
Trump's Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza reportedly claimed on Israeli television that "the option" being offered was the only way forward that ensures this tragedy does not happen again."
The development has further complicated the already tense circumstances in the region, where Israeli forces and settlers have continued to attack Palestinians despite previously agreeing to a 'ceasefire.'
“We remain committed to the road map,” said a member of the Hamas political bureau, Bassem Naim, adding that the group expects mediators and the US to pressure Netanyahu – who also faces domestic tensions as he struggles to hold onto power ahead of the next elections scheduled for October 27.
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