Netanyahu rejects US-backed Gaza plan amid domestic pressure and upcoming elections

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected a US-backed 15-point proposal for a limited withdrawal from Gaza, a move that surprised senior defence officials who said they had been briefed on the plan just days earlier. The plan, which called for Hamas to surrender its weapons, was seen as meeting a key Israeli demand, but Netanyahu also pushed back against US pressure to end Israel’s operations in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran without Israeli consent.

A defence official told Channel 12 that the prime minister’s rejection was learned from the media, adding that “at the meetings that were held until now, the prime minister personally gave his consent to this plan and to a withdrawal from the points in Rafah.” The meetings had reportedly covered the boundaries of three pilot zones in southern Gaza where an international force could replace Israeli troops.

The decision comes as Netanyahu balances demands from far-right coalition partners, who favour intensified attacks and settlement expansion, with the expectations of US President Donald Trump, who has advocated for a permanent settlement and a return to Palestinian control in Gaza through the Board of Peace he created. A senior Israeli military officer said a recent visit by US Central Command head Adm. Brad Cooper conveyed “the Americans’ message to the IDF was to move in the direction of shutting down all three theatres of operations.”

Analysts note that the timing may be aimed at appeasing domestic allies ahead of elections scheduled for late October. While Washington has largely dismissed the remarks as electioneering, recent Israeli operational changes—such as requiring chief-of-staff approval for targeted killings—suggest a partial alignment with US preferences.

The Board of Peace’s top envoy, Nickolay Mladenov, declined to comment on the rejection, stating only that “discussions continue.” Gaza remains in a humanitarian crisis, with over 1,200 deaths reported and widespread shortages of food, medicine and reconstruction supplies.