When Netanyahu Says 'No' to Trump
Netanyahu announced his rejection of the Gaza plan, but a Peace Council official says work continues behind the scenes. The article suggests the rejection may be a maneuver to raise the bar and run out the clock until elections, amid conflicting pressures from the right and Trump. Hamas appears more ready to engage with the plan, and the real question is whether Netanyahu can derail it.
On the surface, Benjamin Netanyahu announced his rejection of the Gaza plan put forward by the Peace Council, insisting on the complete disarmament of Hamas before any withdrawal. But behind the scenes, a council official told the Associated Press that work is ongoing, with 'constructive cooperation behind the scenes,' and field results are beginning to show, including greater control of strikes and new Israeli military measures in Gaza. The irony is that Netanyahu rejects the plan politically but does not leave its path practically. Palestinian factions and mediators spent weeks negotiating sensitive files, especially weapons, reaching a formula based on gradual steps synchronized with withdrawal. Then Netanyahu came to rearrange the equation: disarmament first, withdrawal after. If this condition were accepted, it would be a renegotiation of the agreement from scratch. Netanyahu is maneuvering with the Palestinians and also with Trump, as elections approach in Israel and the United States, and each looks at Gaza from a different angle. Netanyahu needs to satisfy the right, which rejects any withdrawal before Hamas disarmament, while Trump needs an external achievement for his voters. Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, says Netanyahu's dependence on Trump has become 'enormous.' Hamas benefits politically from the scene because it appears the most ready to engage with the plan. The real question: Can Netanyahu derail the plan? The coming days will reveal the difference between the two.