Netanyahu says he is not promising any withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas has "truly" disarmed, and rejects the document presented by Donald Trump's peace council - the so-called "Board of Peace".
"Israel rejects the 15-point document. The IDF (military) will not implement any withdrawal until Hamas has truly disarmed and will continue to repel threats against our forces and our citizens," Netanyahu said at a government meeting.
The announcement comes after the prime minister, who according to opinion polls faces a tough election in October, was pressured by his far-right allies to abandon the Gaza plan.
Pressured before elections
According to the document, Hamas will hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian governing body. In conjunction with the disarmament, Israel will begin withdrawing its forces from Gaza.
On Monday, however, the Peace Council clarified that Israeli forces are expected to withdraw behind the so-called Yellow Line, the border separating the area controlled by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, only after Hamas disarmament is completed.
Nickolaj Mladenov, representative of the Peace Council, says that the only way to guarantee that the October 7 tragedy is not repeated is to fully implement the peace plan.
"The alternative we offer today is the only way forward that guarantees that the tragedy will never be repeated," Mladenov told Israel's Channel 12.
“They have ideas”
Netanyahu says Israel is talking to the US about its objections.
They have ideas, some of them are acceptable to us and some are not, he says.
Netanyahu also promises to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons - a goal he has long claimed Tehran is pursuing - regardless of how diplomacy with Washington and the Arab states develops.
Now the US must put pressure on Israel, says Hamas' reaction.
"We expect the mediators and guarantor, the United States, to pressure Netanyahu and his government to stick to the plan and not obstruct the process for reasons related to domestic politics and the election campaign," Bassem Naim, who is part of Hamas's political bureau, told AFP.
