Netanyahu Rejects Trump’s Gaza Plan, Says Israeli Troops Won’t Withdraw Until Hamas Disarms
Israel has rejected the next phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making it clear that Israeli troops will not withdraw from the enclave until Hamas is completely disarmed. The decision marks a rare public disagreement between Netanyahu and Trump and could further complicate efforts to move the Gaza peace process forward.
Netanyahu rejects key condition of Trump’s plan
Netanyahu publicly dismissed the latest US-backed proposal, which links the disarmament of Hamas with a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Under the proposed framework, Hamas would give up its weapons while Israel would gradually pull its troops back from the territory.
However, Netanyahu has rejected that sequence. His position is that Israel will not begin withdrawing its forces until Hamas has been fully disarmed. The Israeli prime minister has stressed that disarmament must cover all of Hamas' weapons, rather than being limited to a partial surrender.
A major setback for Trump’s Gaza peace push
The development comes just weeks after Trump presented progress toward a Gaza agreement as a major diplomatic breakthrough. The latest disagreement highlights the difficulty of implementing the next phase of the proposed peace framework, particularly over the question of Hamas' weapons and Israel's military presence in Gaza.
The plan envisages Hamas giving up its military capabilities alongside a gradual Israeli withdrawal. The broader framework also involves an international stabilization force and a Palestinian technocratic administration for Gaza.
Israel and US now face a difficult negotiation
Netanyahu's rejection puts Washington and Jerusalem at odds over one of the central elements of the proposed arrangement. While the Trump administration has been pushing the plan as a route toward a lasting settlement, Israel's leadership remains unwilling to accept a military withdrawal before Hamas is completely disarmed.
The disagreement could make negotiations over the next phase considerably more complicated, particularly as questions remain over who would govern Gaza, how security would be maintained and how the territory would transition to a new administration.
What happens next?
The immediate challenge for US negotiators will be to bridge the gap between the proposed sequence of Hamas disarmament and Israeli withdrawal and Netanyahu's demand that complete disarmament come first.
For now, Israel's position represents a significant obstacle to the next stage of Trump's Gaza peace initiative. Whether Washington can persuade Netanyahu to accept the framework—or whether the plan will have to be substantially revised—remains the key question for the coming negotiations.