Daijiworld Media Network – Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Aug 9: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank and ruled out any withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, dealing a major setback to US President Donald Trump's proposed 15-point peace plan.
"As long as I am Prime Minister, there will be no Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank," Netanyahu said, according to Israeli media reports.
Netanyahu also rejected the US-backed roadmap, saying Israel would not withdraw its forces from Gaza until Hamas had been completely disarmed.
The remarks came more than a week after Trump described the proposed roadmap as a "major milestone" and a "great breakthrough" towards ending the war in Gaza.
With Hamas also insisting on its own conditions, Netanyahu's position highlights the deep differences between the two sides over the implementation of the US-backed proposal.
An Israeli official had said last week that there would be "no withdrawal whatsoever" of Israeli forces from their current positions unless Hamas underwent what Israel considered genuine disarmament.
Netanyahu has now reiterated that position, making clear that Israeli troops would remain in Gaza until Hamas gives up its weapons.
His remarks also appear to be at odds with Trump's recent comments following his meeting with Netanyahu in Washington. Trump had said Israel was supportive of the agreement and described the country as "very happy" with the proposed plan.
Trump, however, acknowledged that implementing the roadmap could face difficulties.
"Will it go through its ups and downs? It's a very complex situation over there," he had said.
An Israeli political source also said the issue of Gaza was not discussed during Netanyahu's meeting with Trump in Washington, raising questions about the extent of agreement between the two leaders over the implementation of the plan.
Hamas, meanwhile, has also made clear that it will not immediately agree to disarm.
The group has said Israel must first halt its military operations and fulfil commitments under an earlier ceasefire agreement before Hamas takes steps towards surrendering control of its weapons.
Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, who is involved in the negotiations, said the group was prepared to accept what he described as a "difficult and painful" agreement, but stopped short of agreeing to immediate disarmament.
According to Hamas, Israel must first implement the initial phase of the ceasefire agreement reached at Sharm el-Sheikh, including stopping attacks, withdrawing troops to their earlier positions and allowing increased humanitarian aid and supplies into Gaza.
Only after these steps, Hamas has said, would it consider placing its weapons under the control of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, a proposed Palestinian technocratic body that would oversee the territory during a transitional period.
Trump's 15-point roadmap proposes a phased approach to ending the Gaza conflict, including the disarmament of armed groups, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the transfer of civil administration to a Palestinian technocratic body.
Under the proposal, Israel and Hamas would first complete their existing ceasefire commitments before moving to the next stage.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions would then hand over responsibility for Gaza's civil administration and internal security to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.
The plan also proposes identifying and placing heavy weapons, arms depots, military installations and tunnels under the committee's control.
An international stabilisation force would be deployed to separate Israeli troops from Palestinian-administered areas and oversee implementation of the agreement.
Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza in stages according to an agreed timeline, while reconstruction and restoration of essential public services would begin under international supervision.
The roadmap also envisages a longer-term political process aimed at Palestinian self-determination and the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state.
However, the key dispute remains unresolved. Israel insists that Hamas must disarm before any military withdrawal, while Hamas maintains that Israel must first stop its attacks and begin withdrawing its forces.
The growing differences over Trump's peace initiative have also prompted a coordinated response from eight Muslim-majority nations.
The UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt recently condemned Israel's continuing military operations in Gaza and warned that further escalation could undermine efforts to implement the next phase of the US-backed peace plan.
In a joint statement, the eight countries said Israel's military actions were threatening international efforts to advance the agreement after Palestinian factions accepted the framework announced by Trump.
The foreign ministers warned that continued military operations could derail the political process, lead to renewed escalation and further worsen the humanitarian situation in Gaza.