Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Plan, Rules Out Palestinian State While He Remains Prime Minister
The Israeli prime minister says there will be no withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, putting fresh pressure on a US backed roadmap for the territory.
Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a 15 point US backed plan for Gaza, saying Israel will not withdraw its forces until Hamas has been completely disarmed.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israel rejected the document and made clear that he would oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state for as long as he remained prime minister.
“As long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will arise, not in Gaza and not in Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu said, referring to the occupied West Bank by its Israeli biblical name.
He also ruled out any Israeli military withdrawal before Hamas is fully disarmed.
“The Israeli army will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed,” Netanyahu said. He added that Israeli forces would continue taking action against what Israel considers threats to its troops and citizens.
Netanyahu said Israel was seeking what he described as genuine disarmament rather than an arrangement that would leave weapons in Gaza.
He said discussions were continuing with the United States, which had presented several proposals. According to Netanyahu, Israel had accepted some elements while rejecting others.
Hamas says it remains committed
Hamas has maintained that it remains committed to implementing the 15 point roadmap.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the group called on mediators and countries guaranteeing the agreement to uphold their responsibilities and prevent actions that could undermine the process.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said the group remained committed to the roadmap reached with representatives of the US led Board of Peace in Cairo.
Naim urged Washington to pressure Netanyahu and his government to avoid blocking the agreement for domestic political or electoral reasons.
“We expect the mediators and the American guarantor to pressure Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap,” Naim said.
He said Hamas had accepted the plan despite significant challenges because of what he described as its concern for the interests of the Palestinian people.
Pressure on Trump
Ramy Abdu, chairman of Euro Med Human Rights Monitor, described Netanyahu’s position as a challenge not only to the Gaza ceasefire efforts but also to US President Donald Trump.
Abdu argued that Palestinians and mediators had already made major concessions, including on the question of disarmament.
He questioned whether Trump would stand behind his own proposal or accommodate Netanyahu’s position.
Trump announced the agreement on July 30 and described it as a historic deal aimed at achieving the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.
The agreement was negotiated through the US led Board of Peace, which was inaugurated in February 2026. The board includes around 40 countries, among them Israel and several Arab states. Palestinian representatives are not members of the body, which is chaired by Trump.
Under the initial framework, Hamas would be required to surrender heavy weapons, dismantle facilities used to manufacture weapons, give up weapons stockpiles and address its tunnel network.
Violence continues despite ceasefire
The latest dispute comes as violence continues in Gaza despite the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas last October.
Palestinian officials and international observers have raised concerns about the durability of the ceasefire, citing continued Israeli military operations in parts of the Gaza Strip.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 1,258 Palestinians have been killed and 4,139 wounded since the ceasefire began. The ministry also said more than 800 bodies had been recovered from beneath the rubble.
The overall Palestinian death toll in Gaza since October 2023 has reached at least 73,386, while 174,250 people have been wounded, according to the ministry. These figures are reported by Gaza health authorities and are not independently verified in the material provided.
On Sunday, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that at least one child was injured by Israeli army gunfire in the Al Najjar neighbourhood of Khan Younis.
Tensions rise in the West Bank
The situation has also remained tense across the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces reportedly raided villages in the Nablus governorate and towns east of Bethlehem, with residents reporting searches and damage to homes.
Further attacks involving Israeli soldiers and settlers were reported in areas including Tubas, Al Mughayyir, Masafer Yatta and Wadi al Rakhim. Farmland was also reportedly levelled in several locations.
In occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli police accompanied Israeli worshippers entering the Al Aqsa Mosque compound.
The site is Islam’s third holiest place and is also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount.
Israeli settlers were also reportedly involved in attacks in several parts of the West Bank, including Beit Ur al Tahta west of Ramallah and areas near Jaljulia.
Reports also alleged attacks on Palestinian property near Bethlehem, the cutting down of olive trees and damage to water tanks in Deir Sharaf, west of Nablus.
In Al Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, Palestinian farmers were reportedly attacked by settlers under military protection.
Meanwhile, Israeli ministers and lawmakers attended an event marking the establishment of Emek Dotan, described as a new Israeli settlement in Arrabeh, southwest of Jenin.
The developments have added to uncertainty surrounding the Gaza roadmap, with Hamas calling for the agreement to move forward and Netanyahu insisting that Israel will not accept any arrangement that allows Hamas to retain its weapons or leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state while he remains in office.