Netanyahu rejects U.S. Gaza plan, vows no pullout until Hamas disarms
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a U.S.-backed Gaza ceasefire plan, insisting that Hamas must be fully disarmed before any military withdrawal. The move comes amid political pressure from his right-wing base as he faces a tight election race.
Why it matters
Significant geopolitical development affecting the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and U.S.-Israel diplomatic relations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (August 9, 2026) rejected a Gaza plan hailed by U.S. President Donald Trump, vowing no military pullout until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed.
After more than a week of gradually escalating criticism of the plan, Mr. Netanyahu explicitly opposed it as he faced pushback from his right-wing base ahead of elections.
"Israel rejects the 15-point document," Mr. Netanyahu said, referring to a plan endorsed in late July by Hamas.
The Israeli military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens," Mr. Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting.
The document, the latest stage in a U.S.-led ceasefire announced in October that has reduced but not ended Israeli operations in Gaza, said Hamas would surrender weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing body.
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