Netanyahu Formally Rejects Trump's 15-Point Gaza Plan Accepted by Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the US-brokered 15-point Gaza roadmap during a cabinet meeting on August 9, 2026, stating "Israel rejects the 15-point document" presented by Trump's Board of Peace at the end of July, and declaring the IDF would carry out "no withdrawal as long as Hamas is not genuinely disarmed." The rejection came days after Hamas — under its new leader Khalil al-Hayya — announced it supported the plan and called on the US to pressure Netanyahu to comply; Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim said mediators should pressure Netanyahu not to obstruct the process "for internal political and electoral reasons" ahead of Israel's October 2026 elections, where polls show Netanyahu running even or trailing. Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov said in a Channel 12 interview that Israel faces no immediate withdrawal requirement absent verified Hamas weapons decommissioning, and that "full, verified implementation" of the roadmap is "the only way that we move forward that guarantees that this tragedy will not occur again." White House officials reportedly viewed Netanyahu's public rejection as election-focused rhetoric rather than a substantive break, noting Israel had maintained a five-day pause on Gaza strikes and kept IDF forces behind the agreed Yellow Line even while publicly rejecting the document.