Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza proposal

INTERNATIONAL – ASIA

10 AUGUST 2026

• Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the 15-point Gaza plan endorsed by Hamas, despite the plan being backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
• Netanyahu said Israel would not withdraw its forces from Gaza until Hamas is completely and genuinely disarmed.
• The decision came after pressure from Netanyahu’s right-wing and far-right political allies, who oppose the plan.
• Netanyahu still called Trump “our greatest friend in the White House”, but stressed that Israel would oppose parts of the U.S. proposal it considered unacceptable.
• The rejection comes ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections, with Netanyahu facing a difficult political environment and polls showing his support is uneven.
• Hamas, under its new leader Khalil al-Hayya, has supported the plan and urged the U.S. to pressure Netanyahu to accept it.
• Under the proposal, Hamas would surrender its weapons to a Palestinian governing body, while Israeli forces would withdraw alongside the disarmament process.
• The Board of Peace later clarified that Israel would only have to withdraw after “complete” disarmament, but Netanyahu still rejected the arrangement.
• Egypt, a major mediator, urged all sides to honour their commitments and avoid actions that could undermine the ceasefire process.
• Despite the ceasefire, violence continues. Gaza’s Health Ministry says 1,258 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, while the Israeli military reports five Israeli soldiers killed during the same period.