Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he rejected a plan announced last week by U.S. President Donald Trump that calls for the "total disarmament" of the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, and other armed groups in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu made the comments after meeting in Jerusalem on Monday with Nicolai Mladenov, director of the Gaza Peace Board.
In a video posted on social media, Netanyahu said Trump and his team believe they can get Hamas to disarm and demilitarize Gaza. He said Washington sent Israel a draft of the plan, but that Israel had not accepted it. The video marked his first public comments on the matter since Trump's announcement last Friday, according to Europa Press.
Netanyahu said Israel sent its own observations on the draft back to Washington, stressing that it did so before a media campaign broke out over the issue.
Israel's Position on Gaza Forces
Netanyahu said Israeli authorities would remain firm in defending their interests. He repeated that Israel would not withdraw its forces deployed in the Gaza Strip until Hamas has been completely annihilated.
His remarks came a day after he received Mladenov in Jerusalem. Mladenov had asked Israel to halt its attacks on the Palestinian enclave so that negotiations with Hamas could conclude.
Peace Board Director's Comments
Mladenov, a Bulgarian diplomat, described the meeting with Netanyahu as constructive and thorough. He said the Israeli army would leave the Palestinian enclave only once Hamas's disarmament had been completed.
Mladenov said the "difficult phase" was now beginning following the ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025, even though Israel has not stopped its bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
