"WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GENUINE DISARMAMENT, NOT A FICTIONAL ONE": ISRAEL REJECTS U.S. 15-POINT PLAN FOR GAZA AND DEMANDS FULL SURRENDER OF HAMAS ARSENAL

"WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GENUINE DISARMAMENT, NOT A FICTIONAL ONE": ISRAEL REJECTS U.S. 15-POINT PLAN FOR GAZA AND DEMANDS FULL SURRENDER OF HAMAS ARSENAL

In a ministerial statement this Sunday (August 9, 2026), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conditions any troop withdrawal on the verifiable elimination of all heavy and light weaponry in the enclave.

The Government of Israel, through an official statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the opening of this morning's weekly Cabinet meeting, formalized its rejection of the 15-point proposal drafted by international mediators for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire.

Addressing the security parameters required before any Israel Defense Forces (IDF) movement, the Prime Minister explicitly defined the threshold for peace talks:

"I would like to be precise: Israel rejects the 15-point document. The Israel Defense Forces will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is truly disarmed — which encompasses heavy weaponry, light weaponry, and all types of arms. We are talking about genuine disarmament, not a fictional one."

Key Directives of the Official Stance:

Complete Arsenal Handover: Israel reasserts that disarmament cannot be limited to heavy artillery or rockets; it must cover small arms, underground infrastructure, and local manufacturing facilities.

 

No Withdrawal Without Verification: IDF ground forces will remain stationed along the Yellow Line and defensive perimeters in Gaza until an independent, audited process confirms the total removal of military capabilities.

 

Rejection of Symbolic Commitments: The Cabinet reinforced to international partners that partial, unverified, or purely political declarations of demilitarization will not trigger troop evacuations.