Israel rejects Trump’s 15-point Gaza peace plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for ending the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu said Israel would not withdraw its troops from Gaza until Hamas is genuinely disarmed.

Trump’s Board of Peace said last month that an agreement had been reached for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza.

However, Hamas said it would only hand over its heavy weapons if Israel ended all forms of aggression and withdrew its forces from the territory.

Israel has continued to carry out strikes in Gaza despite an initial ceasefire agreement reached last October.

“Israel rejects the 15-point document,” Netanyahu said at a Cabinet meeting on Sunday.

He added that the Israeli military “will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens”.

Trump described the plan as “a monumental step toward lasting peace and security” after Hamas said it had accepted a plan for the disarmament of armed groups in Gaza.

However, Netanyahu said Hamas must be fully disarmed before any Israeli withdrawal, stressing that the process could not involve “fictitious disarmament”.

He said he was currently holding discussions with US officials on how to move forward with the plan.