Israel on Sunday rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point Gaza Peace Plan saying it would not withdraw from the Palestinian enclave until Hamas fully disarms.
“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,” prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting.
Trump, who last month touted a breakthrough in his Gaza peace plan, said that Hamas has agreed to lay down arms.
However, his Board of Peace’s proposal calls for a phased withdrawal of Israel’s troops from Gaza alongside the disarmament of Hamas.
Netanyahu said that Israeli military would not be leaving until the militant group completely disarmed first.
“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,” he said.
The announcement marks a rare display of public friction with the US administration.
“We are talking with the Americans about this issue. They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us, and some are not. We know how to stand up to these things,” Netanyahu said.
He also said the Israeli army would continue “to thwart threats against our forces and citizens”.
“Once again, the existence of Israel and the security of all Israeli citizens is not up for negotiation. We stand firm on these interests.”
Netanyahu also said there would be no Palestinian state in Gaza or the West Bank, as long was Israel’s leader.
The Israeli military has continued carrying out strikes on the enclave since agreeing to the ceasefire in October last year.
Palestinian officials say around 1,200 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israeli strikes since then. – Africa News.
