Israel rejects US-backed Gaza disarmament plan as strikes continue

Israel has publicly rejected the US-backed plan for Gaza, which would see Hamas disarm and Israeli forces withdraw, even as the Trump administration presses for a deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message that the proposal is "a draft" that Israel "did not agree" to, and that Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is "completely disarmed" Source: SCMP. The plan, announced by Trump's Board of Peace, calls for Hamas to hand over weapons to a new Palestinian governing committee, followed by a phased Israeli withdrawal and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force Source: Euronews.

Disagreement over sequencing

The core dispute is the order of events. Israel insists that disarmament must precede any withdrawal, while Hamas says it will only disarm if Israel withdraws from additional territory it has occupied since the October 2025 ceasefire Source: CNN. The Board of Peace, after a meeting with Netanyahu on Monday, stated that withdrawal beyond the "Yellow Line" will occur "only once decommissioning is complete" Source: Al Jazeera. However, Netanyahu's office said the public version of the agreement "does not reflect Israel's positions" Source: CNA.

Continued strikes and pressure

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli airstrikes have continued, killing at least 28 people over the weekend, drawing rebukes from the Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov and mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey Source: CNN. Netanyahu faces domestic pressure from far-right ministers who demand a new vote on the plan, and experts say his position is unlikely to change before October elections Source: Foreign Policy. Meanwhile, Hamas negotiator Ghazi Hamad said the disarmament deal was necessary to "save Gaza" Source: Al Jazeera.

What's next

The Board of Peace says it has reached a "common understanding" with Israel on shared objectives, but the process remains unresolved Source: SCMP. The coming weeks will test whether the US can pressure Israel to accept the deal, with reports suggesting Trump would be "very disappointed" if it does not Source: DW.