New Delhi: Israel has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point peace plan for Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stating that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas is fully disarmed.
Netanyahu made the remarks during a cabinet meeting, saying Israel would not carry out any withdrawal under the current proposal until Hamas was genuinely disarmed. He also said Israel would continue taking measures to prevent threats against its forces and citizens.
Hamas Signals Readiness to Proceed
The Israeli rejection comes after Hamas indicated that it was prepared to move forward with the US-backed peace framework.
According to the report, Hamas had informed Trump’s Board of Peace that it was ready to proceed with the next stage of the plan. Under the proposed arrangement, Hamas and other factions would hand over their weapons to a newly established Palestinian governing committee in Gaza.
A Hamas official told AFP that the group and other factions had conveyed to mediators their willingness to begin implementing the agreement and move to its second phase, provided Israel also approves the arrangement and begins fulfilling its commitments.
Key Point of Disagreement
The central disagreement between the two sides remains the issue of Hamas’ disarmament and Israel’s military withdrawal from Gaza.
While the US-backed framework seeks to advance the peace process and move towards the next phase, Israel has made clear that it will not withdraw its forces until it is satisfied that Hamas has been fully disarmed.
The development has created fresh uncertainty around efforts to implement the Gaza peace framework.
Muslim-Majority Nations Criticise Israel
The latest development also comes days after the United Arab Emirates and seven other Muslim-majority countries issued a joint statement criticising Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The countries argued that Israel’s actions risked undermining Trump’s peace framework, which is intended to bring an end to the conflict.
With Israel rejecting the current 15-point document while Hamas has expressed readiness to proceed, the future of the proposed agreement remains uncertain.
