KABUL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a proposal from Washington under which Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza in exchange for Hamas disarming.
U.S. President Donald Trump had previously described the proposal as an important step toward a lasting agreement.
At the beginning of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said explicitly that “Israel does not accept the 15-point document that has been presented.” He added that Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza only if Hamas genuinely disarms, rather than merely pretending to do so.
Netanyahu insisted that Hamas must surrender all of its weapons, including heavy and light weapons and other arms.
He also said that his government would continue discussions with U.S. officials on the issue, noting that while some of Washington’s positions were acceptable to Israel, others were not.
The 15-point proposal for ending the war in Gaza and facilitating a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces was prepared by the Board of Peace under the administration of Donald Trump.
So far, U.S. officials have not issued an official response to Netanyahu’s rejection of the proposal.
Meanwhile, a Hamas member told the BBC that the group was prepared to work responsibly toward implementing the Board of Peace’s plan.
A ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel was reached in October last year, but the agreement has since been repeatedly violated.