Israel has rejected a 15-point Gaza peace plan presented by Donald Trump, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisting that no withdrawal will happen until Hamas gives up its weapons. Reuters reported the decision.
Barak Ravid, a CNN analyst and Washington correspondent for Israel’s Channel 12, relayed Netanyahu’s warning.
– I mean heavy weapons, lighter weapons – all weapons. And we’re talking about real disarmament, not fake disarmament – said Barak Ravid.
Trump had hailed the arrangement in May, writing on Truth Social that the Peace Council had reached a historic agreement on complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, and calling it a monumental step toward lasting peace and security. That council, led by Trump and involving Tony Blair, was designed to oversee the peace process.
The deal on the table
Under the plan, Gaza would become an area free of terrorism and radicalization, posing no threat to neighbors. Another provision said destroyed buildings would be rebuilt for residents who have suffered long enough. Israeli forces, in turn, would withdraw to a previously designated line, while Hamas would release the hostages.
Within 72 hours of signing, Israel would free 250 prisoners serving life sentences and 1,700 Gaza residents detained after 7 October 2023, including all women and children held in that context. After Hamas handed over power, Gaza would be administered by a technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee under temporary transitional governments, with oversight from Trump’s Peace Council.
Why Israel says no
Both sides had agreed to the US conditions last year. In early August, however, Israel shared serious security concerns with the White House. Doron Spielman, a spokesman for Netanyahu’s office, told AP that Israeli intelligence assesses that Hamas still aims to rebuild its army rather than actually disarm.
Spielman said the military will not leave Gaza – where it controls more than 60 percent of the territory – until the organization is disarmed.
Truce is not protecting civilians
The ceasefire reached in October has not stopped attacks by Israel on the Gaza Strip. UNICEF says at least 300 children have been killed in the 300 days since the truce took effect. According to the UN, civilians are still dying despite the ceasefire, while malnutrition and destroyed infrastructure threaten the youngest.
The current war began with Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023, when fighters crossed the border, killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Gaza’s health ministry, run by Hamas, says more than 73,000 people have been killed, although that figure does not distinguish civilians from fighters. Israeli assessments from last October, cited by media at the time, said about 23,000 of those killed fell in combat.
Źródło: Polsat News, Fot. Polsat News
