Netanyahu rejects US-led Gaza plan, widening gap with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday explicitly rejected a US-led Gaza plan that Hamas had endorsed, signaling a growing divergence from President Donald Trump. The prime minister's stance also reflects pressure from his right-wing base ahead of tight elections.

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Israel rejects the 15-point document.

"Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu declared at a cabinet meeting, referring to the plan Hamas approved in late July. He asserted that the Israeli military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens."

Despite calling Trump "our greatest friend in the White House," Netanyahu made it clear Israel was willing to challenge the US president. "They have ideas; some of them are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand our ground on these matters," he said, adding that Israel was communicating its objections to the US.

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The Israeli military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens."

Netanyahu, facing polls that show him even or trailing in some races for the October 27 elections, is under pressure from his right-wing base and far-right cabinet members who have urged him to call a new vote to reject the Gaza plan. Hamas, meanwhile, called on the United States to pressure Netanyahu, with Bassem Naim of Hamas's political bureau stating, "We expect the mediators and the American guarantor to pressure Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap and not obstruct the process for internal political and electoral reasons."

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They have ideas; some of them are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand our ground on these matters.

The Gaza plan was the latest stage in a US-brokered ceasefire announced in October. Trump had described Hamas's agreement to surrender weapons to a Palestinian governing body as a "major milestone." The plan stipulated that Israel would begin withdrawing forces concurrently with the disarmament, a timeline Netanyahu adamantly rejected.

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We expect the mediators and the American guarantor to pressure Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap and not obstruct the process for internal political and electoral reasons.