Netanyahu rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza Peace plan, says ‘no Palestinian state as long as I am PM’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that his country has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point peace plan for Gaza, reiterating that there would be no Palestinian state as long as he remained prime minister. He also said Israel would not withdraw its forces from Gaza until Hamas fully disarms.
The comments come more than a week after Trump announced a breakthrough in negotiations, with his Board of Peace (BoP) issuing a new 15-point plan aimed at securing lasting peace in the territory.
Israel rejects the 15-point document: Netanyahu
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, referring to a plan endorsed last month by the Palestinian group Hamas, according to Al Jazeera.
“The Israeli army will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that Israel is now discussing this with the Americans. “They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand up to those things.”
“As long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established — not in Gaza and not in the West Bank,” Netanyahu added.
There was no immediate response from the White House or Hamas.
Trump announces deal for Hamas
Earlier on July 30, Trump had announced that a deal had been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza, but many hurdles, conditions and long timelines remained to wind down the war in the Palestinian territory. Neither Hamas nor Israel gave immediate indication that they had agreed.
The announcement from the White House comes nine months after a US-brokered ceasefire was signed. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas had largely deadlocked over the implementation of its second phase, including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.
“The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” Trump said on social media. “As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilisation Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbours.”
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