US remains unfazed as Netanyahu rejects Trump’s Gaza roadmap

US source said Washington understood the political considerations behind Netanyahu’s latest remarks and was not seeking a confrontation over them. The official indicated that the main concern for the US administration was whether Israel would continue reducing attacks in Gaza as discussions over the next stage of Trump’s plan move forward.

Netanyahu demands Hamas disarm first

Netanyahu rejected a 15-point framework backed by Trump’s Board of Peace on Sunday, arguing that Israeli forces must remain in Gaza until Hamas gives up its weapons. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had discussed the proposal with Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, during a conversation last week, telling him that he doubted Hamas would accept disarmament.

Israel limits operations behind Yellow Line

Despite rejecting the roadmap’s withdrawal provisions, Netanyahu has indicated that Israel will give the initiative an opportunity by restricting its military activity in Gaza. He also pledged not to move Israeli troops beyond the Yellow Line, which divides areas under Israeli military control from zones where Palestinians are permitted to move. The line currently covers roughly 70% of the Gaza Strip.

US sees opening for next phase

Channel 12 reported that American officials believe Israel has largely honored those commitments over the past five days. Washington reportedly intends to use the period without reported Israeli strikes and the continued positioning of Israeli forces behind the Yellow Line to press Hamas to begin the disarmament process.

Gaza death toll remains central to talks

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, which began in October 2023, has killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 174,000, according to figures cited in the report. Although a ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, 2025 under the first phase of Trump’s Gaza initiative, Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli attacks have since killed at least 1,258 people and wounded another 4,139.

Trump plan faces dispute over disarmament

The second stage of the US-backed roadmap calls for Gaza’s administration to be transferred to a Palestinian technocratic committee, followed by the deployment of an international stabilization force and an internationally supervised process for handling weapons. It also envisages an Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction of the enclave.

The central disagreement remains the sequence of these steps. Israel wants Hamas to surrender its weapons before Israeli forces withdraw, while the roadmap supported by Hamas calls for disarmament and the Israeli pullback to proceed gradually and in parallel.

Hamas backs continuation of roadmap

Hamas reiterated Sunday that it remains committed to the framework reached with mediators and the Board of Peace. The group said it would continue working toward implementation of the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan, keeping the focus on negotiations over governance, disarmament and the future Israeli military presence.