Israeli government rejects Trump's Gaza peace plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has firmly rejected a U.S.-backed peace initiative for Gaza, specifically criticizing Hamas's proposed disarmament process as "unacceptable." Speaking at his weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu indicated that while discussions with the United States are ongoing, significant differences remain.

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They have ideas, some of them are acceptable to us and some are unacceptable to us.

"They have ideas, some of them are acceptable to us and some are unacceptable to us," Netanyahu stated, directly contradicting earlier claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that Israel was "very happy" with the plan. Trump had heralded a major breakthrough after his administration brokered a deal for Hamas to hand over its weapons.

The Israeli prime minister's stance is not entirely unexpected, as much of the Israeli establishment has voiced opposition to the proposal. However, the rejection underscores the complex challenges ahead in negotiating the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, particularly with an Israeli election on the horizon. It also demonstrates that the White House's influence over the Netanyahu government has its limits.

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The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until the dismantling of Hamas and its weapons, and when I say dismantling Hamas and its weapons, that means heavy weaponry, less heavy weaponry and smaller arms, all weaponry.

Hamas had previously outlined conditions for disarmament, including an end to Israeli attacks and a withdrawal from occupied territories. Since the ceasefire was declared in October 2025, Palestinian health authorities reported over 1,200 deaths in Israeli strikes. Israel has also expanded its control within the strip, displacing more Palestinians. Hamas proposed handing over weapons to a U.S.-backed technocratic organization, which Israel has not allowed to enter Gaza.

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We're talking about a true dismantling, not a fictitious dismantling.