According to a report from the Associated Press on August 4th local time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israeli forces will not pull back from their current defensive positions in Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed. He also voiced opposition to the recent agreement announced by former President Donald Trump.
He stressed that the Israeli military will continue to take every necessary measure to protect itself, Israel’s territory, and its citizens.
In a video posted on social media, Netanyahu said, “The Trump administration sent us a draft. We did not agree to it. That is not our draft. We submitted our comments… This is our position.”
On July 30th local time, Trump claimed that a so-called “peace committee” initiated by the United States had reached a “historic agreement” that day, under which Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza would fully disarm, with Israel subsequently withdrawing its troops from the territory. In a social media post, Trump described the agreement as a major milestone in implementing his “20-point plan for Gaza,” calling it “a key step toward lasting peace and security” and “an important step toward Gaza ultimately being governed by a new Palestinian government,” while also emphasizing that “Israel will receive the security guarantees it deserves” through this deal.
Earlier on Thursday, an anonymous Israeli official revealed that Israel had rejected a proposal. The official said, “Israel demands the complete disarmament of Hamas, including the removal of weapons from Gaza and the full demilitarization of the territory, as a precondition for any process. The relevant document failed to provide satisfactory responses to these demands, and Israel has expressed its objections.”
According to China Central Television, Hamas stated on July 31st that it agrees to include the issue of handing over weapons within the framework of the Gaza ceasefire agreement — but this is conditional upon and premised on Israel ceasing all forms of aggression and withdrawing its forces from the Gaza Strip.
