Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a US-backed mediation proposal for disarming Hamas, tightening his stance after previously expressing reservations about reciprocal phased Israeli withdrawals from Gaza.

"Israel does not accept the 15-point document," Netanyahu declared at his weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, according to an official translation. In his original Hebrew remarks, the verb used could be interpreted as either "rejects" or "rules out."

"The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed, and it will continue to thwart threats against our forces and citizens," Netanyahu added.

The prime minister was responding to a "roadmap" published on July 30 by the Board of Peace, an international consortium responsible for implementing US President Donald Trump's post-war plan for the Palestinian territory. Trump swiftly praised the roadmap as an "historic agreement" and "a major milestone."

The US Embassy in Jerusalem offered no immediate comment.

Hamas has given only qualified consent to the roadmap. The group stated it would surrender heavy weapons to a proposed new Gaza administration, but conditioned this on Israeli withdrawals and the establishment of a Palestinian state. The roadmap stipulates that the new administration would permit individual Palestinians to retain small arms. The core impasse is thus one of sequencing: Israel insists on full disarmament before any further military pullback, while Hamas treats reciprocal withdrawals and a path to statehood as prerequisites for decommissioning — leaving little common ground for mediators to bridge.

Trump's original plan envisioned a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops and tanks from the Gaza Strip, with discussions on eventual Palestinian statehood framed as outcomes of full demilitarization and post-Hamas stabilization. The initial ceasefire phase was secured last October. Diplomatic progress has stalled since then, as the Israeli military has pushed beyond armistice lines into a shrinking Hamas-controlled area where approximately 2 million Palestinians are concentrated.

Israel launched its military campaign following Hamas's October 2023 invasion, which caught Netanyahu's religious-rightist government off guard. Three years later, with elections approaching this October, Netanyahu has pointed to Israel's ongoing control of Gaza as a partial victory, even with Hamas remaining undefeated. The electoral calendar adds domestic pressure on the prime minister, who must balance any concession to mediators against the risk of alienating hardline coalition partners whose support he needs to remain in power.

Far-right ministers within Netanyahu's coalition have voiced opposition to the roadmap. Minister Orit Strock called it a "bloodshed map" in a radio interview ahead of Sunday's cabinet session. Following Netanyahu's remarks, her party leader Bezalel Smotrich praised the prime minister for the "clarification."

Board of Peace's top diplomat Nickolay Mladenov met with Netanyahu last week. Afterward, the consortium stated that "the withdrawal of the IDF beyond the Yellow Line will take place only once decommissioning is complete" — referring to territory controlled by Israel since the ceasefire.

Hamas requested further clarification from the Board of Peace. On Sunday, the faction released a statement saying it would "continue to engage positively and responsibly with the efforts aimed at completing the implementation of the agreement, in a manner that ensures an end to the suffering of our people, and protects their national rights and interests."

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by both the United States and the European Union.

A wave of Israeli airstrikes in July that targeted Hamas commanders — and in which dozens of civilians were also killed — has subsided since Mladenov's visit, an indication that Netanyahu has heeded calls to avoid jeopardizing diplomatic efforts.

In another sign of potential progress, the Board of Peace announced Saturday that it had assembled experts to plan temporary housing for displaced Palestinians. This serves as an interim measure ahead of permanent reconstruction, which Mladenov has said would require Hamas to disarm first.

Separately, Netanyahu's office confirmed that work is underway on a new tent city, funded by the United Arab Emirates, in an area the IDF has cleared of Hamas forces and weaponry. The UAE's involvement reflects a broader pattern of Gulf states financing humanitarian logistics in Gaza, even as the political track remains deadlocked.