Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally rejected a US-backed 15-point peace plan for Gaza, declaring that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the territory until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu was unambiguous: "Israel rejects the 15-point document," he said, adding that the military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens."

The plan, the latest stage in a broader ceasefire framework brokered by the United States and announced last October, was publicly endorsed by Hamas in late July. It was championed by Trump's newly created Board of Peace — a body established to oversee the agreement's implementation — whose head, diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, described it as "the only way forward" to ensure the October 7, 2023 attacks are never repeated. That assault, carried out by Hamas across southern Israel, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, triggering an Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has since killed more than 73,000 people, according to the territory's health ministry, whose figures the United Nations considers reliable. Around 1.9 million people — roughly 90% of Gaza's population — have been displaced.

The central sticking point is the sequence of disarmament and withdrawal. The 15-point plan envisaged Hamas surrendering its weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing body while Israeli forces simultaneously began pulling back — a phased, parallel process. Netanyahu has flatly refused this, insisting disarmament must come first and be total: "We are talking about real disarmament, not fictitious disarmament," he said, specifying that Hamas must surrender heavy weapons, light weapons, and everything in between. He also reiterated his long-standing opposition to Palestinian statehood, saying it would not happen "in Gaza, nor in Judea and Samaria" — the term Israeli officials use for the West Bank — "as long as I am prime minister." Mladenov, seeking to reassure Israel, clarified that no withdrawal would be required until disarmament was fully verified and complete, walking back earlier language suggesting the two steps could happen in tandem.

For its part, Hamas said it remains committed to the agreement and called on Washington to pressure Netanyahu to comply. "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," said Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas's political bureau. A senior Hamas official separately told the BBC the group was "ready to engage seriously and responsibly" in implementing the plan, while warning that if Israel did not hold to the agreement, neither would Hamas.

Netanyahu's rejection — though not entirely unexpected — places him in a delicate position with Washington. Trump had hailed the plan as a "monumental step toward lasting peace and security" and claimed Israel was "very happy" with it. Netanyahu, who called Trump "our greatest friend in the White House," nonetheless made clear he was willing to push back, noting that US proposals were on the table but that some were "not acceptable." With Israeli elections scheduled for late October and polls showing the Gaza plan is unpopular with his right-wing base — including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who called the draft "not acceptable" — Netanyahu faces intense domestic pressure to take a hard line. Negotiations between Israel and the United States are continuing, and Mladenov said he hoped discussions would lead to a "positive outcome" for all parties.