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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sunday that Israel will not accept a 15-point Gaza proposal from the Board of Peace, stating that Israeli Defense Forces will remain in the enclave until Hamas completely surrenders its weapons. Netanyahu made the announcement during a weekly Cabinet meeting, rejecting what he characterized as insufficient disarmament measures for the militant group.
The Israeli leader emphasized that any agreement with the United States regarding Hamas weapons must result in total surrender of the organization’s arsenal. “It needs to be genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament,” Netanyahu said, clarifying that complete disarmament means relinquishing “the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons, all the weapons.”
Hamas officials countered that the group remains committed to a Gaza roadmap negotiated with mediators and Board of Peace representatives in Cairo 10 days prior. Senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters that the group expects the United States and international mediators to pressure Netanyahu’s government into adhering to the agreed framework.
The standoff reflects significant obstacles to converting the October 2024 ceasefire into a permanent settlement, particularly regarding the sequence of Hamas disarmament and Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu’s rejection of the Board of Peace proposal signals Israel’s determination to maintain security conditions it deems essential before pulling forces from the territory.
Netanyahu also used his remarks to reiterate opposition to Palestinian statehood in Gaza or the West Bank, declaring “there will be no Palestinian state” under his leadership. He reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to working with Washington while holding firm on security prerequisites for any long-term agreement.
Regarding regional security, Netanyahu stated that Israeli military operations in Lebanon had recently been conducted “forcefully” and highlighted what he called “very important activity” by the armed forces. On Iran, he asserted that Tehran has avoided attacking Israel due to fear of Israeli retaliation and praised President Trump for strengthening the US-Israel alliance against Iranian nuclear ambitions.
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