Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected key elements of a , insisting that Israeli troops will not withdraw from their current positions until Hamas is completely disarmed.
The remarks signal growing differences between Israel and the Trump administration over how to implement the ceasefire framework and underscore the challenges facing efforts to bring the nearly three-year conflict to a lasting end.
Why did Netanyahu reject the latest proposal?
in a video posted on social media said Israel had not accepted the draft proposal presented by the Trump administration and had instead submitted its own changes.
“The Trump administration sent us a draft. We did not agree. It is not our draft. We sent our comments…. This is our position.”
He reiterated that Israel would not withdraw from the territory it currently controls until fully surrenders its weapons.
“We will do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves, our territory and our citizens,” Netanyahu said.
His remarks mark one of the clearest public disagreements between his government and Washington since the ceasefire process began.
What does the US-backed proposal include?
The proposed framework calls for:
– to begin disarming.
-Israel to halt military strikes.
-Israeli forces to gradually withdraw from roughly 60% of Gaza currently under their control.
The agreement to build on the October ceasefire that secured the release of remaining hostages and halted large-scale fighting.
Why is the ceasefire stuck?
The core dispute remains unchanged.
Israel’s position
Israel insists:
-Hamas must completely disarm first.
-Israeli troops will remain deployed until that happens.
-Any withdrawal before Hamas is neutralised would threaten Israeli security.
Hamas’ position
Hamas argues:
-Israel must first stop military operations.
-Israeli forces should begin withdrawing before any meaningful discussion on disarmament.
-Israel has violated the ceasefire through continued strikes.
Each side accuses the other of breaching the truce.
Why does this matter politically for Netanyahu?
The Israeli prime minister faces parliamentary elections in October and remains under pressure from right-wing coalition partners, many of whom oppose major concessions to Hamas.
Reaffirming that Israel will not withdraw before Hamas disarms is also aimed at reassuring his domestic political base that security remains the government’s top priority.
Mass funeral held for victims of 2023 Gaza strike
As diplomatic tensions unfolded, hundreds of Palestinians gathered in Gaza City for a mass funeral after rescue teams recovered 112 bodies from one of the deadliest Israeli airstrikes of the war.
The victims died on November 22, 2023, when Israeli warplanes flattened a residential block in Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood.
Initial rescue efforts recovered only about 40 bodies. The remaining victims had remained buried beneath the rubble for nearly three years before recent recovery operations.
According to Gaza’s Civil Defence:
112 bodies have now been recovered.
Around 40 children were among the dead.
Another 157 bodies are believed to remain trapped beneath the debris.
Why are bodies still being recovered?
Recovery operations became possible only after the latest ceasefire reduced fighting in parts of Gaza.
Large sections of the territory remain covered with collapsed buildings, making rescue work slow and dangerous.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry:
-More than 73,377 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, including deaths recorded after the ceasefire.
-At least 7,400 people are officially listed as missing beneath the rubble.
The real number could be significantly higher because entire families were wiped out in some attacks, leaving no one to report missing relatives.
