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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Sunday that his government does not accept the 15-point document put forward by President Donald Trump and that the military would not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed of all weaponry in what he termed a genuine process rather than a fictitious one. He described Trump as among Israel’s greatest friends in the White House while stressing that the country knows how to stand firm against unacceptable ideas. The remarks came as Netanyahu navigates pressure from far-right coalition partners ahead of a national election scheduled for Oct. 27.[[1]](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-rejects-trumps-15-point-plan-gaza-pm-netanyahu-says-2026-08-09/)
The Trump administration’s Board of Peace issued the roadmap last month as a phased approach to end hostilities that began with the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. It calls for Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups to decommission heavy weapons, tunnels and military production sites, with a new National Committee for the Administration of Gaza taking civil control while an international stabilization force oversees security. Israeli forces would then withdraw from more than 60 percent of the territory they currently hold, according to details outlined in reports from multiple outlets.[[2]](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trumps-gaza-plan-hinges-hamas-disarmament-israeli-withdrawals-2026-08-10/)
Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to the plan while urging mediators and the United States to press Israel for compliance on mutual terms. Senior U.S. officials told reporters they understand Netanyahu’s domestic political requirements provided Israeli attacks in Gaza remain restrained. Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right minister, posted that the proposal was unacceptable, joining mainstream opposition voices that raised doubts over the disarmament timeline and verification measures.[[3]](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/9/israel-rejects-trumps-15-point-plan-for-gaza)
Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s lead envoy, described the initiative as a step-by-step process grounded in verification to ensure Gaza never again poses a threat, citing the need to prevent any repeat of the 2023 events. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on all parties to implement the roadmap without scepticism or attempts to undermine it. A Reuters assessment found that complications surfaced quickly after the July announcement, particularly around sequencing of disarmament and withdrawals.[[4]](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-must-approve-disarmament-agreement-before-hamas-will-implement-says-hamas-2026-07-31/)
Netanyahu faces an uphill battle for re-election while balancing demands from hard-line allies against relations with the Trump administration, which has scaled back expectations for immediate progress. Aaron David Miller, a longtime Middle East analyst, noted that the vote represents one of the most consequential of Netanyahu’s political life as he walks a fine line between constituents and Washington. The analyst added that serious movement on the file may not occur before a new Israeli government is formed.[[5]](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/world/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-trump-15-point-plan-hamas-peace-gaza.html)
Israel has reduced the intensity of its operations in Gaza in recent days under American pressure even as sporadic strikes continue to produce casualties on the Palestinian side. The Board of Peace continues to engage both parties in talks aimed at bridging differences over the 15-point framework. Netanyahu’s rejection of Trump’s 15-point Gaza plan unlikely to be final word given the mutual interest in reaching an accommodation before the Israeli election, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions.
