Trump's peace plan for Gaza is REJECTED by Israel as Netanyahu refuses to withdraw until Hamas is disarmed

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 13:33, 9 August 2026 | Updated: 13:57, 9 August 2026 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday his nation is rejecting a peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump's Board of Peace. 'I want to clarify this: Israel rejects the 15-point document. I have heard people saying, 'You didn't say that.' So here I am saying it again, Netanyahu told a meeting of his Cabinet. 'The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed,' the Israeli PM added.  Last month, Trump championed a breakthrough in his peace plan for Gaza but it appeared to hit a major roadblock Sunday after  Netanyahu flatly rejected a key part of the proposed deal, insisting Hamas must surrender every weapon before Israeli troops leave the territory. Trump had celebrated what he described as a breakthrough in negotiations last month, saying Hamas had agreed to lay down its arms. But the Board of Peace's roadmap calls for Israel to gradually withdraw its forces from Gaza as Hamas disarms – a sequence Netanyahu made clear he will not accept. 'When I say Hamas must be disarmed, I mean heavy weapons, lighter weapons, all weapons. We are talking about genuine disarmament, not a fictitious one,' Netanyahu declared Sunday, insisting Israeli troops will remain in Gaza until the terror group is completely stripped of its arsenal. Hamas has taken the opposite position. The group said last month it would only disarm after Israel fully withdraws from Gaza and ends military operations, adding that surrendering its heavy weapons would come later and only if a Palestinian state is established. Netanyahu also doubled down on his long-standing opposition to Palestinian statehood, declaring: 'As long as I am Prime Minister, there will be no Palestinian State.' His comments come as he faces a fierce political fight ahead of October elections, with the wars in Gaza and Iran expected to dominate the campaign. US  President Donald Trump points his finger towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference in December of 2025 Senior Hamas official Basim Naeem blasted Netanyahu's remarks, urging US officials and international mediators to 'exert pressure' on the Israeli leader to follow the agreed roadmap and 'prevent him from obstructing the process for domestic political and electoral considerations.' Naeem said Hamas remained committed to the Board of Peace's proposal, describing it as an act of 'national responsibility' that serves the 'interests of the Palestinian people.' Netanyahu acknowledged negotiations with Washington remain ongoing despite the impasse. 'We are currently discussing this issue with the Americans,' he said. 'They have ideas; some of them are acceptable to us and some are not, and we know how to stand firm on these matters.' This is a breaking news story and will be updated.