Netanyahu rejects Gaza peace plan
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel rejects a 15 point peace plan for Gaza presented by the US led "Peace Council", stating that Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed. When an international plan agreed upon by leading powers collides with a rigid disarmament demand, diplomacy and ground reality exist in different dimensions. Netanyahu reaffirmed that security for Israel is not a bargaining chip but a condition for survival. He speaks of disarming Hamas as the sole guarantee for a ceasefire, yet acknowledges that US negotiations continue. Hamas agreed to the plan but linked it to full troop withdrawal and reconstruction. Thousands continue to die, and peace remains elusive.
The statement marked Israel's first official rejection. Netanyahu told his cabinet that Israeli forces, controlling about 70% of Gaza, will keep striking to "prevent threats". "When I speak of disarming Hamas, I mean all kinds of weapons," he said. According to him, Israel is still negotiating with the US: "They have ideas, some acceptable, some not, and we know how to stand our ground." The plan was drafted in May by Nikolay Mladenov, the "High Representative for Gaza" in the "Peace Council," and announced by Trump in late July, who claimed agreement on "full disarmament" of Hamas. A day later, Hamas agreed to the "latest version of the roadmap" for the second ceasefire phase, but conditioned arms supplies on a full cessation of "aggression", Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction progress. Since the ceasefire took effect in October 2025, Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed over 1,250 and wounded more than 4,100.
The Peace Council plan was one of the most ambitious settlement attempts. It included phased Israeli withdrawal, transfer of Gaza governance to an international body, and a large scale reconstruction programme. However, Hamas disarmament remained the key sticking point, which Israel deemed essential. Netanyahu, under domestic political pressure, could not afford concessions seen as capitulation. Hamas, while agreeing to the roadmap, made its implementation conditional on a halt to all military actions and troop withdrawal. Both sides formally agreed but insisted on their own interpretations, deadlocking the process. The humanitarian situation in Gaza worsens, and peace prospects remain bleak.
As CCTV+ reports, Israel's rejection and Hamas's counter conditions show that achieving sustainable peace in Gaza remains one of modern diplomacy's toughest challenges, and every new initiative risks shattering against the realities of a protracted conflict.
