The Washington administration did not react negatively to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to the US-backed roadmap calling for a withdrawal from Gaza. A senior US official who spoke to Israel’s Channel 12 said Netanyahu’s remarks were linked to political needs during the election period.
The US official said they wanted the Israeli government to continue limiting attacks in Gaza. According to the official, bringing the attacks under control was particularly important, while the US administration was not concerned about Netanyahu’s objections.
Netanyahu rejected the 15-point plan
On Sunday, Netanyahu rejected the 15-point roadmap backed by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace. The Israeli prime minister said the Israeli military would remain in Gaza until Hamas was disarmed.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu met with Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, last week. Netanyahu reportedly said during the meeting that he did not believe Hamas would agree to disarm.
Despite objecting to the plan, Netanyahu said he was prepared to give the roadmap a chance. The plan calls for Israel to limit its attacks in Gaza and not deploy its forces beyond the Yellow Line, which separates areas under Israeli control from areas where Palestinians can move.
The Yellow Line was said to cover approximately 70 percent of the Gaza Strip. US officials believe Israel has complied with its commitment not to carry out attacks in Gaza over the past five days and has kept its forces behind the Yellow Line.
The Washington administration believes this situation could provide grounds for calling on Hamas to disarm. The roadmap’s second phase envisions transferring the administration of Gaza to a committee of Palestinian technocrats, deploying an international stabilization force and placing weapons under international supervision.
The roadmap also calls for the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces and reconstruction efforts. Israel insists that disarmament must be completed before its withdrawal. The roadmap accepted by Hamas, however, envisions the disarmament and withdrawal processes proceeding gradually and in parallel.
Hamas reiterates commitment to second phase
On Sunday, Hamas reiterated its commitment to the roadmap agreed with mediators and the Board of Peace. The group said it maintained its position on completing the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan.
Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023 have killed more than 73,000 people and injured more than 174,000. Despite the ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, daily attacks have continued in Gaza, with at least 1,258 people killed and 4,139 injured, according to data from the Gaza Health Ministry.
