Netanyahu: We Did Not Agree to a Plan to Disarm Hamas

Netanyahu said in a video message shared on social media that Israel had been sent a “draft.” “We did not agree to it.” Instead, Israel sent comments, he said. Netanyahu did not initially provide any details.

This marked the first time the Israeli prime minister had publicly commented on the plan put forward by the Peace Council established by U.S. President Donald Trump, which calls, among other things, for the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas to surrender its weapons and for the Israeli army to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Trump announced on Friday that the Peace Council had reached an agreement on the “complete disarmament” of Hamas. However, the announcement was met with skepticism.

Netanyahu: Israel Will Not Back Down from Its "Current Stance"

The main point of contention is the exact process of disarmament, as well as when and how the Israeli army is to withdraw from the Gaza Strip in return. Netanyahu has now emphasized that the Israeli army will not withdraw from its “current line” until Hamas has been completely disarmed.

In recent months, the Israeli army has expanded its control over Palestinian territory from 53 percent to over 60 percent. The newspaper *Times of Israel* speculated that Netanyahu’s remarks implied that Israel is not even willing to withdraw back behind the line originally agreed upon as part of the ceasefire. According to the report, the Peace Council’s plan calls for this step.

Hamas, for its part, made the handover of heavy weapons contingent, among other things, on the Israeli army's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Whether the plan can be carried out, therefore, is far from certain.

Netanyahu went on to explain that the U.S. president and his team believed they could disarm Hamas. Israel is assessing this.

The plan also calls for a cessation of all hostilities in the Gaza Strip. Despite the ceasefire, Israel has, according to its own statements, repeatedly targeted suspected members of terrorist organizations in the coastal region in recent days. In his video message, Netanyahu said that Israeli soldiers remain under orders to do whatever is necessary to protect themselves and Israel’s citizens.

Meeting Following Reservations from Israel

Following reservations expressed by Israel regarding the initiative, Nikolaj Mladenov, High Representative of the Peace Council, and U.S. adviser Aryeh Lightstone met with Netanyahu on Monday. It was reported afterward that Israel and the Peace Council had reached “a common understanding of the intended goals.”