Israel did not agree to Gaza withdrawal plan, says Netanyahu

In his first public comments on the proposal, Netanyahu said the Trump administration had sent Jerusalem a draft of the plan, which Hamas accepted last week.

“President Trump thinks — or his team thinks — that they can get Hamas to disarm and demilitarise Gaza. We are looking into it,” Netanyahu said in a video statement posted on Tuesday.

“They sent us a draft. We did not agree to it. It was not our draft. We sent back our comments.”

Netanyahu’s remarks appear to put Israel at odds with the US-backed roadmap, which calls for an initial Israeli withdrawal to the so-called Yellow Line in Gaza as part of a wider process leading to Hamas disarmament.

Israel withdrew to the line under the October 2025 ceasefire and hostage-release agreement but has since expanded its control over parts of the Strip.

Netanyahu said Israel would not withdraw from its present positions until Hamas was fully disarmed.

The Board of Peace, the US-backed body overseeing the initiative, has been seeking to secure agreement from Israel after Hamas accepted the disarmament proposal.

A senior US official previously said the proposal was an extension of Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war, which Israel accepted last year.

The official warned that Trump would be “very disappointed” if Israel blocked the plan.

The proposal would also require Israel to halt military operations in Gaza once it takes effect.

Israel has objected to that condition, although reports indicate it had agreed to tighten rules governing IDF strikes and targeted assassinations.

Netanyahu defended the right of Israeli forces to continue responding to threats.

“We are instructing IDF soldiers to do whatever is necessary to defend themselves, defend our territory and defend people,” he said.