WASHINGTON — Israel has rejected a 15-point Gaza peace proposal developed by U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Sunday that Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas fully disarms.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said, according to reports from Reuters and CNN.
Trump announced progress in negotiations in late July and said the proposed framework included the phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the disarmament of Hamas.
Netanyahu said Israel was discussing the proposal with the United States but objected to parts of the plan.
“They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some are not,” Netanyahu said.
The proposal called for a phased Israeli withdrawal alongside Hamas’ disarmament. Hamas has reportedly agreed to disarm after Israel withdraws and has conditioned its disarmament on the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu rejected that condition, saying Israel would not support the creation of a Palestinian state.
“As long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established — not in Gaza and not in the West Bank,” he said.
The disagreement highlights a major obstacle in the US-backed effort to end the Gaza conflict, which began after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The attack killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken, according to Israeli figures.
Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed 73,375 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry’s figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but the United Nations and other international organizations generally regard its casualty figures as reliable.
