JERUSALEM, Aug 9, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 
on Sunday rejected a Gaza plan hailed by US President Donald Trump, vowing no 
military pullout until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed.

After more than a week of gradually escalating criticism of the plan, 
Netanyahu explicitly opposed it as he faced pushback from his right-wing base 
ahead of elections.

"Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu said, referring to a plan 
endorsed in late July by Hamas.

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," Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting.

The document, the latest stage in a US-led ceasefire announced in October 
that has reduced but not ended Israeli operations in Gaza, said Hamas would 
surrender weapons to a nascent Palestinian governing body.

The plan said Israel would begin pulling out forces in tandem with the 
disarmament, an idea adamantly rejected by Israel which also wants Hamas to 
destroy its weapons.

After meeting Netanyahu last week, Trump's body implementing the deal, dubbed 
the Board of Peace, backtracked and said Israel would only need to withdraw 
after "complete" disarmament.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, who according to polls is in a 
tight race to stay in power, has faced calls from his far-right allies to 
hold a new cabinet vote and end the Gaza plan.

Netanyahu said that Israel was speaking with the United States about its 
objections.

"They have ideas; some of them are acceptable to us and some are not, and we 
know how to stand our ground on these matters," he said.

Netanyahu said that Hamas must give up all of its weapons, a goal that Board 
of Peace members say is not realistically achievable.

"We are talking about real disarmament, not fictitious disarmament," 
Netanyahu said.