Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Pullback After 28 Killed, as Trump Presses 15-Point Peace Plan
Updated
Updated · AOL · Aug 4
Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Pullback After 28 Killed, as Trump Presses 15-Point Peace Plan
3 articles · Updated · AOL · Aug 4
Summary
Netanyahu told envoy Nickolay Mladenov on Monday that Israeli forces would not withdraw from their current Gaza lines and would keep attacking while Hamas remains a threat, Israel Hayom reported.
The stance collides with Trump’s 15-point roadmap, which says Israel would withdraw in phases only after Hamas decommissions light and heavy weapons and tunnels; Hamas wants Israel to halt operations first.
Weekend Israeli airstrikes killed 28 people before bombardment reportedly paused on Monday, while Israel says troops will not move before Hamas disarms and tunnels are destroyed.
Israel has expanded its control to 60% to 70% of Gaza, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz, displacing residents again as troops search for tunnels.
Since the Trump-backed plan was agreed in October, Gaza health authorities say Israeli strikes have killed at least 1,230 Palestinians; Israel says four of its soldiers were killed in the same period.
With Israel and Hamas locked in a deadly standoff over who acts first, can Trump's ambitious peace roadmap actually force a compromise?
If Gaza's rebuilding is strictly tied to Hamas disarming, will millions of displaced civilians become permanent collateral damage in this political deadlock?
As the Board of Peace faces sudden transparency concerns, who is truly controlling the billions pledged for Gaza's reconstruction?