Netanyahu rejects Trump-backed Gaza withdrawal plan, insists Hamas must disarm first
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected key elements of a US-backed proposal aimed at advancing the Gaza ceasefire, insisting that Israeli troops will
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected key elements of a US-backed proposal aimed at advancing the Gaza ceasefire, insisting that Israeli troops will not withdraw from their current positions until Hamas is completely disarmed. The remarks signal growing differences between Israel and the Trump administration over how to implement the ceasefire framework and underscore the challenges facing efforts to bring the nearly three-year conflict to a lasting end. Why did Netanyahu reject the latest proposal? Netanyahu in a video posted on social media said Israel had not accepted the draft proposal presented by the Trump administration and had instead submitted its own changes. "The Trump administration sent us a draft. We did not agree. It is not our draft. We sent our comments.... This is our position." He reiterated that Israel would not withdraw from the territory it currently controls until Hamas fully surrenders its weapons. "We will do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves, our territory and our citizens," Netanyahu said.
His remarks mark one of the clearest public disagreements between his government and Washington since the ceasefire process began. What does the US-backed proposal include? The proposed framework calls for Hamas to begin disarming. Israel to halt military strikes. Israeli forces to gradually withdraw from roughly 60% of Gaza currently under their control. The agreement to build on the October ceasefire that secured the release of remaining hostages and halted large-scale fighting. Why is the ceasefire stuck? The core dispute remains unchanged. Israel's position Israel insists Hamas must completely disarm first. Israeli troops will remain deployed until that happens. Any withdrawal before Hamas is neutralised would threaten Israeli security. Hamas' position Hamas argues Israel must first stop military operations. Israeli forces should begin withdrawing before any meaningful discussion on disarmament. Israel has violated the ceasefire through continued strikes. Each side accuses the other of breaching the truce. Why does this matter politically for Netanyahu?
The Israeli prime minister faces parliamentary elections in October and remains under pressure from right-wing coalition partners, many of whom oppose major concessions to Hamas. Reaffirming that Israel will not withdraw before Hamas disarms is also aimed at reassuring his domestic political base that security remains the government's top priority. Also Read | Iran seeks control over inbound Strait of Hormuz shipping in Oman talks: Report Mass funeral held for victims of 2023 Gaza strike As diplomatic tensions unfolded, hundreds of Palestinians gathered in Gaza City for a mass funeral after rescue teams recovered 112 bodies from one of the deadliest Israeli airstrikes of the war. The victims died on November 22, 2023, when Israeli warplanes flattened a residential block in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood. Initial rescue efforts recovered only about 40 bodies. The remaining victims had remained buried beneath the rubble for nearly three years before recent recovery operations. According to Gaza's Civil Defence 112 bodies have now been recovered.
The BriefWire