JERUSALEM — Israel has rejected a 15-point U.S.-backed plan aimed at ending the Gaza conflict, putting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at odds with President Donald Trump and raising fresh questions over Washington’s efforts to secure a lasting end to the war.
Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would not accept the proposal in its current form and that Israeli forces would not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed.
“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said at the start of a Cabinet meeting. He added that Israel would not withdraw its forces until Hamas had been “genuinely disarmed.”
The Israeli prime minister said disarmament must cover Hamas’ heavy and lighter weapons, insisting that Israel would not accept what he described as a symbolic or incomplete process.
The disagreement represents an unusual public divide between Netanyahu and Trump, whose administration has been closely involved in efforts to end the conflict and establish a postwar arrangement for Gaza.
Trump’s Board of Peace proposed the framework as a way to move toward Hamas disarmament, a phased Israeli military withdrawal and the creation of a new Palestinian administration in Gaza. Under the proposal, Hamas would surrender its weapons in stages while Israel would gradually withdraw from parts of the territory it controls.
Hamas has indicated that it is prepared to consider the arrangement under conditions that include an Israeli withdrawal and an end to attacks. The differences over the timing and terms of disarmament, however, remain among the biggest obstacles to implementing the proposal.
Netanyahu said Israel was continuing discussions with Washington and acknowledged that some elements of the American proposal could be acceptable.
“We are now discussing this with the Americans,” Netanyahu said, according to reports. “They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some are not.”
The latest disagreement could make those goals harder to achieve. A successful agreement would require Israel and Hamas to accept difficult compromises on security, weapons, territory and governance, while also addressing the humanitarian needs of Gaza’s civilian population.
The conflict began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking hostages, according to Israeli authorities. Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza that has caused enormous destruction and a severe humanitarian crisis.
The latest plan is therefore significant because it attempts to address several of those issues at the same time. It also reflects a continuing international push to move Gaza from wartime conditions toward reconstruction and civilian administration.
For Palestinians, the future of Gaza’s government and the question of whether Israeli forces remain in the territory are central concerns. For Israel, the government has continued to emphasize security and the removal of Hamas’ military capabilities.
The United States now faces the challenge of persuading its Israeli ally to accept enough of the proposed framework while also securing Hamas’ cooperation. Any agreement would likely require extensive negotiations over sequencing, security guarantees and the administration of Gaza.
Netanyahu’s rejection does not necessarily end negotiations. His government has left the door open to further discussions with U.S. officials, while Washington continues to pursue its broader Gaza strategy.
The latest dispute comes after nearly three years of war following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Numerous ceasefire and hostage-release efforts have since been attempted, with disagreements over Israeli withdrawal, Hamas’ weapons and Gaza’s future government repeatedly blocking a permanent settlement.
The Trump administration’s broader Gaza roadmap has called for the territory to move toward new Palestinian administration, reconstruction and stabilization. The White House said in January that the establishment of a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza was a key step in implementing the second phase of Trump’s 20-point roadmap.
