Netanyahu rejects BoP Gaza withdrawal plan until Hamas disarms, turns down White House draft

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a premature Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in a video posted to Facebook on Tuesday, insisting that Hamas must lay down all its arms before any retreat. He also revealed that the White House had sent a draft proposal on Hamas's disarmament, which Israel returned with comments. The rejection follows a meeting with Board of Peace representative Nickolay Mladenov, who requested a 14-day ceasefire to begin demilitarization.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the notion of a premature Israeli withdrawal from the IDF's current positions in Gaza in a video posted to his Facebook page on Tuesday. He stated, "We won't retreat from the current lines until Hamas lays down all of its arms," and added that Israel will allow IDF troops to do everything necessary to protect themselves, the territory, and citizens. Netanyahu also revealed that the White House had sent Israel a draft proposal regarding Hamas's disarmament, but clarified that Israel had not accepted it and had sent it back with comments. The rejection comes after a meeting between Netanyahu and Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace (BoP) Director-General and High Representative for Gaza, who requested that all IDF strikes against Hamas stop so a "14-day ceasefire" aimed at kickstarting the demilitarization of Hamas could begin. The BoP described the meeting as "constructive and detailed," noting both parties share a common understanding of the ultimate objective: "the complete decommissioning of weapons in the [Gaza] Strip and the transition away from rule by the gun to civilian governance." The IDF's withdrawal would only occur once all weapons and military infrastructure, including light weapons, heavy weapons, and tunnels, are decommissioned. Prior to this, Israel had already turned down the BoP's request last week for the removal of IDF forces from Gaza.