Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that Israeli forces will not withdraw from Gaza until the militant group Hamas is fully disarmed. The statement serves as a rejection of a 15-point peace plan proposed by President Trump, which envisioned a phased process for withdrawal and disarmament. Netanyahu stated during a meeting with government ministers that he is seeking "genuine disarmament" before any military pullback occurs.
The dispute follows a 20-point Gaza plan introduced by President Trump in late 2025. That initial phase resulted in a ceasefire in October 2025, the release of hostages and 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and increased humanitarian aid. While that agreement called for a partial Israeli withdrawal, more difficult negotiations regarding full disarmament and further troop withdrawals were deferred until the release of the new 15-point roadmap on July 31.
President Trump previously stated on social media in late July that his Board of Peace had secured a "historic agreement" for the complete disarmament of Hamas. According to Board of Peace officials, the plan requires Hamas and other groups to transfer their weapons to a vetted international policing force. However, a senior Hamas official told NPR that the group would only disarm if Israel withdrew from portions of Gaza first. Hamas issued a statement Sunday saying it remains committed to the roadmap previously agreed upon.
The scale of the disagreement centers on the sequence of a 15-point plan that involves thousands of armed personnel and the governing structure of the entire Gaza territory. Prime Minister Netanyahu's insistence on disarmament before withdrawal contradicts the phased approach proposed by the U.S. Board of Peace on July 31. This friction occurs as Netanyahu faces domestic political pressure; with the Israeli election scheduled for Oct. 27, current polling indicates his coalition is at risk of losing its majority. The Prime Minister's stance reinforces a previous Board of Peace statement from Aug. 3, which noted Israeli forces would not move beyond a designated "Yellow Line" until decommissioning was complete.
For the international community and regional stakeholders, the stalemate sets a precedent for how disarmament will be verified and managed in post-conflict Gaza. The knock-on effects include the continued delay of a full Israeli withdrawal and the potential suspension of the broader 20-point peace initiative. What happens next depends on whether the U.S. Board of Peace can reconcile the conflicting demands of Hamas, which requires withdrawal first, and the Israeli government, which requires disarmament first. No new deadlines for the 15-point plan have been set, though the Oct. 27 Israeli election remains a key date for the region's political leadership.