Netanyahu Rejects Full Gaza Withdrawal Until Hamas Is Completely Disarmed Amid US Peace Plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responds to a new U.S. Gaza plan by stating that Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed, while dismissing any future Palestinian state.

Netanyahu Rejects Full Withdrawal Until Hamas Disarms

At a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu declared that Israeli forces will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until Hamas is completely disarmed, adding that Israel is discussing its reservations with the United States.

Netanyahu responds to the U.S. plan regarding the Gaza Strip by stating that the U.S. has ideas, some of which are acceptable while others are not, and that the security of all Israeli citizens is non-negotiable.

The Israeli prime minister emphasized that he highly values U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him a “great friend” of Israel in the White House, and noted that the army will continue to counter threats and will never agree to a Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank.

Trump’s Peace Council and Washington Meeting

Benjamin Netanyahu met with Donald Trump in Washington on July 28, a meeting described by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt as “positive and productive,” where they discussed the war in Iran and the future of Gaza.

Donald Trump’s Peace Council formulated a plan to disarm Hamas, with Trump announcing in late July that the council reached an agreement tying Hamas’s disarmament to the withdrawal of Israeli forces to allow a new Palestinian government to rule Gaza in close cooperation with the council.

Fragile Ceasefire and Ongoing Casualties

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Hamas, in effect since October 2025, ended intensive combat operations, but subsequent phases remain unrealized as Hamas keeps its arms and the Israeli army maintains control over approximately 65 percent of the Palestinian enclave.

Both sides accuse each other of violating the truce, with Gaza authorities reporting over 1,200 Palestinian deaths since the agreement took effect, while Israel maintains its attacks target solely combatants, October 7 attack participants, and ceasefire violators, alongside five fallen Israeli soldiers.

The October 7 attack resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages taken, while the subsequent Israeli offensive has claimed over 73,000 lives according to authorities in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.