Israeli PM: Withdrawal from Gaza Only After Full Disarmament of Hamas
Netanyahu rejects US-proposed deal, insisting on a sequence Hamas refuses, as bodies of 2023 victims are found in Gaza
Netanyahu rejects US-proposed deal, insisting on a sequence Hamas refuses, as bodies of 2023 victims are found in Gaza
On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that Israeli forces will not leave their positions in the Gaza Strip until Hamas fully lays down its arms. This statement comes at a time when a draft agreement prepared by the administration of US President Donald Trump was released, sparking rare public disagreement between the two close allies. Netanyahu, who faces a challenging re-election battle in October, reiterated his stance that disarmament is key.
In a video message posted on social media, Netanyahu clarified that Israel has not accepted the US proposal. "President (Donald) Trump and his team think they can force Hamas to disarm and demilitarize Gaza; we are examining that, they sent us a draft, we did not agree, it is not our draft, we sent our comments," Netanyahu said. He added: "We stand firmly by our interests, I believe both wisely and decisively."
The agreement, based on the ceasefire from October 2025, envisioned the start of Hamas's disarmament, a halt to Israeli strikes, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from approximately 60% of Gaza's territory they currently control. The October 2025 ceasefire ended major military operations and allowed for the release of remaining hostages but stalled on other fronts. Under that agreement, an International Stabilization Force was to be deployed, and an independent Palestinian administration was to take over governance and reconstruction.
However, the key point of contention remains the sequence of moves. Israel insists that everything depends on whether Hamas lays down its weapons, while Hamas demands that Israel first cease attacks and begin withdrawal. Both sides accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli forces will continue "to do everything necessary to protect themselves, our territory, and our citizens."
On the same day, Palestinians gathered for a mass funeral of more than 100 bodies finally recovered after a deadly Israeli strike in Gaza in 2023. These are victims of the attack on November 22, 2023, when Israeli warplanes flattened a residential block in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza, killing more than 300 people.
These discoveries have further increased the already high death toll in a conflict that escalated with the Hamas-led militant attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. That attack killed about 1,200 people, and 251 were taken hostage. According to data from the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 73,377 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing Israeli offensive, including the period since the ceasefire was signed.
While efforts for a lasting peace continue, Palestinian political analyst Ahmed Najar, speaking to MEE Live, pointed to a broader geopolitical framework. He argued that Israel and the European far right are building a mutually beneficial relationship, despite the far right's long history of anti-Semitism. According to Najar, the European far right uses support for Israel to legitimize anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim policies, while Israel gains the opportunity to portray its war as part of the same struggle and label critics of its policies as anti-Semites.
"They benefit from building this kind of relationship. We will likely see more attacks of Islamophobia," Najar warned. This relationship, he claims, strengthens the political narratives of both sides and fuels the growth of Islamophobia across Europe.
