Bibi: Israel rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza peace plan

IDF won’t withdraw until Hamas is disarmed, says PM

When I say Hamas must be disarmed, I mean heavy wea­pons, lighter weapons, all weapons. We are talking abo­ut genuine disarmament, not a fictitious one. as long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state.

Benjamin Netanyahu 

Jerusalem: Israel would not accept 15-point plan for Gaza set out by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, PM Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. “I want to clarify this: Israel rejects the 15-point document.

I have heard people saying, ‘You didn’t say that.’ So here I am saying it again,” he told a cabinet meeting, referring to the peace plan set out by Trump last year. “The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed,” he added. Netanyahu said Israeli forces were not going anywhere until Hamas completely disarmed first. 

The leader is currently facing a domestic political ba­ttle for survival ahead of elections set for October, with the status of the Gaza and Iran co­nflicts likely to prove pivotal.

On Saturday, Hamas said it was ready to proceed with the US-backed plan and urged pressure on Israel. Hamas informed Trump’s Board of Peace it stood by the latest stage of the plan, under which the operatives would hand over weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing committee in the territory. 

“Hamas and other factions have confirmed to mediators readiness to begin implementing the deal and move to the second phase, provided it gets Israeli approval and Israel begins implementing the agreement,” a Hamas official said.

—Agencies