Netanyahu rejects US-backed Gaza peace plan, insists on Hamas disarmament first

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected a 15-point peace plan for Gaza, backed by the United States, marking a rare public disagreement with President Donald Trump. Netanyahu stated he was countering a "wave of rumors about Israeli weakness and Israeli withdrawals on all fronts."

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I am confronting a wave of rumors about Israeli weakness and Israeli withdrawals on all fronts.

He criticized pressure from the U.S. to end conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran without Israel's explicit consent. The plan, proposed in July by Trump's Board of Peace, stipulated that Hamas must disarm in exchange for a complete Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza and the eventual transfer of power to an independent Palestinian national committee.

While Trump had outlined a phased implementation of the agreement, Netanyahu asserted on Sunday that he requires full Hamas disarmament as a prerequisite for any deal implementation. This stance highlights a significant divergence on the conditions and timeline for resolving the conflict.

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Hamas disarm in exchange for providing a full Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and an eventual transition of power to an independent Palestinian national committee.

Meanwhile, the region faces escalating tensions. Iran has issued new demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and the United Arab Emirates reported one of its ships was targeted by an Iranian missile over the weekend. Tehran declared the strait would remain closed until the U.S. "corrects its behavior." Additionally, Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack on a Saudi Arabian refinery.

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The Strait of Hormuz will not open until the US corrects its behavior.