Major blow to Trump’s Gaza plan as Netanyahu rejects proposal over Hamas disarmament

Last month, Trump’s Board of Peace reached an agreement calling for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups operating in Gaza.

Speaking at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said Israel had rejected the proposed framework.

“I want to clarify here,” Netanyahu said, as quoted by The Times of Israel.

“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” he said.

“The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed. And when I say Hamas must be disarmed, I mean the heavy weapons, the less-heavy weapons, all weapons. And we are talking about genuine disarmament, not a fictitious one,” Netanyahu added.

Hamas reaffirms commitment to Trump’s plan

Hamas, meanwhile, has reaffirmed its commitment to the proposed agreement.

A Hamas official told the BBC on Sunday that the group “reaffirms its commitment” to the agreement and is prepared “to engage seriously and responsibly in implementing” the 15-point plan.

Hamas leader Bassem Naim, a member of the group’s politburo, also said Hamas remained committed to the roadmap outlined by Trump’s Peace Council.

“We are committed to the roadmap reached with the representatives of the Peace Council in Cairo just days ago, and our agreement, despite all the challenges, reflected a commitment to the interests of our Palestinian people,” Naim wrote on X.

“We expect the mediators and the American guarantor to press Netanyahu and his government to compel him to adhere to the roadmap and not obstruct the path for internal political and electoral reasons,” he added.

Israel’s rejection of the plan marks another setback for Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, which was announced in September last year.

Gaza death toll

The Palestinian Ministry of Health has reported that more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the October 2025 ceasefire.

The United Nations has independently verified the deaths of 685 Palestinians between October and mid-April, including 283 women and children, with most reportedly killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip.

Between July 13 and July 20 alone, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recorded at least 57 Palestinian deaths attributed to Israeli military action, including six children and eight women.

According to OHCHR, 34 of those killed were reportedly located away from the Israeli-imposed “yellow line”, marked by concrete blocks installed by Israel across parts of the Gaza Strip.