Washington
\nIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump\u2019s 15-point plan for Gaza, stating that no military pull-out will happen until Hamas is \u201cgenuinely\u201d disarmed.
\nTrump\u2019s Board of Peace said last month it had reached an agreement for the \u201ccomplete disarmament\u201d of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
\nBut Hamas said handing over its heavy weapons was contingent on Israel ending \u201call forms of aggression\u201d and withdrawing its forces from Gaza.
\nIsrael has continued to carry out strikes on Gaza since agreeing to an initial ceasefire in the territory last October.
\n\u201cIsrael rejects the 15-point document,\u201d Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.
\nThe Israeli military \u201cwill not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens\u201d, he added.
\nA Hamas official told the BBC on Sunday the group \u201creaffirms it commitment\u201d to the agreement and it was ready \u201cto engage seriously and responsibly in implementing\u201d the 15-point plan.
\nThey called on mediators to ensure \u201cthat all parties comply with what has been agreed\u201d.
\nIsrael\u2019s rejection signals another blow for Trump\u2019s Gaza peace plan which was announced in September last year.
\nThe plan included the creation of the Board of Peace to oversee the agreement\u2019s implementation, as well as the disarmament of Hamas, withdrawal of Israeli troops and reconstruction of Gaza.
\nNetanyahu\u2019s statement does not come as a surprise.
\nBut he has taken some time to make it, perhaps reflecting the difficult position the Israeli leader is in.
\nHe clearly is unhappy with Trump\u2019s plan but at the same time he will not want to upset his closest ally.
\nIt\u2019s just over a week since Trump announced what he called a \u201cmonumental step toward lasting peace and security\u201d – that Hamas for the first time had agreed to disarm, on condition that Israel withdraws its forces from Gaza.
\nOn Sunday, Netanyahu was clear that was not going to happen under his watch. He said Hamas had to disarm first, adding that it couldn\u2019t be some \u201cfictitious disarmament\u201d – it had to be real.
\nThe reality is any disarmament and withdrawal of Israeli forces would likely need need to be phased.
\nNetanyahu said he was now in discussion with US officials about how to go forward.
\n\u201cThey have ideas; some of them are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand our ground on these matters,\u201d he said.
\nBut just months before Israeli elections and under pressure from members of his right-wing coalition to take a tough stance on Gaza, he is unlikely to want to make concessions.
\nHe has faced calls from far-right parts of the coalition to hold a new cabinet vote and end the Gaza plan, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir who dismissed the draft as \u201cnot acceptable\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump\u2019s 15-point plan for Gaza, stating that no military pull-out will happen until Hamas is \u201cgenuinely\u201d disarmed. Trump\u2019s Board of Peace said last month it had reached an agreement for the \u201ccomplete disarmament\u201d of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. But Hamas said […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-561051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n