Israel Rejects Trump’s Gaza Plan

Darwin, August 02 : Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed plan for Hamas’ disarmament in Gaza, calling it unacceptable. Israel has also reiterated that there will be no withdrawal of its troops from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, according to The Times of Israel.

In a message posted on Telegram on Friday (July 31), Ben Gvir said that every Hamas member has “blood on their hands” following the October 7 attacks. He argued that any commitment to halt targeted killings of Hamas operatives would only give the group time to regroup and prepare for future attacks.

He further said that Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza must continue, while encouraging what he described as the voluntary emigration of Palestinians. “Israel must ultimately emerge victorious,” he added.

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli government official said in a statement cited by Israeli media that Israeli forces would not withdraw from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas’ complete disarmament is guaranteed.

The official said that despite reports suggesting political progress on Gaza, Israel’s position remains unchanged. According to the statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not withdraw from the current “Yellow Line” positions unless Hamas undergoes genuine and complete disarmament.

Speaking on Thursday, the same official said that the disarmament proposal put forward by the Board of Peace does not meet Israel’s conditions. Israel maintains that Hamas must be fully disarmed before any Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza can take place.

Under the Board of Peace proposal, however, Hamas had agreed to hand over its weapons in phases. The plan envisioned Israel initially reducing its military presence in Gaza and returning its forces to previously agreed positions.

A Board of Peace official indicated that the troop withdrawal was expected to begin within the next few days. Hamas, however, warned that if Israel failed to return to the previously agreed Yellow Line, the weapons handover process would also not move forward.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet commented publicly on the proposal. The United States, however, has welcomed Hamas’ reported agreement to disarm.

A senior U.S. official also warned that President Donald Trump would be deeply disappointed if Israel obstructed Washington’s Gaza plan.

Source: The Times of Israel