Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel rejected a 15-point proposal and ruled out any Israeli military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip until Hamas is fully disarmed.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Mr Netanyahu said, adding that the Israeli military would not withdraw until Hamas underwent what he described as “real, not fictitious” disarmament, including all heavy and light weapons.
In remarks during a cabinet meeting published by his office, Mr Netanyahu said Israel was discussing the issue with the US, noting that some American proposals were acceptable to Israel while others were not. He also said the military would continue to act against threats to its forces and Israeli civilians.
Addressing broader regional concerns, Mr Netanyahu said Israel would not accept Iran obtaining nuclear weapons and said Israeli forces were continuing operations against threats in Lebanon.
On Gaza’s future, the Israeli Prime Minister also reiterated his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying that “neither Fatahstan nor Hamastan” would be established under his leadership.
The comments came after a Hebrew-language post on his Facebook page last week in which he said Israel did not agree with the plan to disarm Hamas. The video followed days of anonymous comments from senior Israeli sources who said the arrangement was unacceptable.
Israel also continued to launch deadly strikes on the Gaza Strip, which drew rare condemnation from top Board of Peace diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, although he did not mention Israel by name. He later met Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
“This is the start of the hard phase, and I have never pretended otherwise. Not much of what we do now is dramatic. It is slow, grinding and technical work,” Mr Mladenov posted on X about his meetings with Mr Netanyahu, which took place last Monday.
Sunday’s comments are the Prime Minister’s most categorical denial yet, and could put him on a collision course with US President Donald Trump, who has long promised to find a deal that will bring peace and reconstruction to Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu’s rejection comes after months of talks between the Board of Peace, Hamas and mediator countries on the matter of disarmament, which is widely viewed as one of the trickiest topics in negotiations. Israel was not part of the disarmament talks.
Mr Netanyahu's categorical rejection of the arrangement adds yet another complication to the negotiations, as many in the ultranationalist government continue to refuse any withdrawal and support the establishment of Israeli settlements in Gaza. Mr Netanyahu is also fighting an election campaign and fears that any concessions on Gaza might anger his base.
Hamas fears losing influence in talks and its purpose as a militant organisation if it gives up its weapons without securing sufficient wins.
