Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fully rejected a 15-point plan to disarm Hamas that was recently announced by former President Donald Trump.
"I want to be precise here: Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu said at a weekend cabinet meeting. He stated that Israel will "not withdraw at all until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and citizens."
Trump had claimed last month that his Board of Peace had brokered a deal with Hamas, in which the group would disarm in exchange for Israel withdrawing its forces from the Gaza Strip. However, Netanyahu expressed skepticism about the sincerity of such an agreement.
"We are now discussing this with the Americans," Netanyahu said. "They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand up to those things."
Netanyahu also reiterated his stance against the establishment of a Palestinian state, stating, "As long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established — not in Gaza and not in the West Bank."
This public rejection marks a divergence between Netanyahu and Trump, despite their past close relationship. Previously, the Trump administration developed a 20-point Gaza peace plan in October that outlined three phases: a cease-fire and humanitarian support, demilitarization and reconstruction, and recognition of a Palestinian state. Trump's team has been working towards the second phase of this broader plan.
The 15-point proposal announced by Trump was viewed as a potential breakthrough, with Hamas and other Palestinian groups conditioning their agreement on Israel committing to moving its forces back to the "yellow line" as outlined in the 20-point plan. Currently, Israeli forces are positioned in over half of the Gaza Strip, including its eastern and southern regions. Some members of Netanyahu's cabinet have indicated interest in expanding this presence.
Hamas had also insisted on a complete cessation of Israeli strikes in Gaza as part of the conditions. Following Netanyahu's opposition to the 15-point plan, a senior Hamas leader, Bassem Naim, called for the U.S. to pressure Netanyahu to accept the proposal, suggesting that internal political and electoral considerations were influencing his stance.
Netanyahu, known for his hardline policies, faces an election in October, with current polling showing his coalition trailing. He met with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in Washington, D.C. last month.