Israel Rules Out Gaza Pullback as Peace Plan Wobbles
Israel said it would not pull its forces back from their current positions in Gaza, escalating its attacks and hardening its demands in a way that put President Trump’s peace plan under fresh strain. Far-right ministers pressed Mr Netanyahu to rescind approval for an international stabilisation force to enter the territory. Hamas, meanwhile, complained to mediators that the continued Israeli strikes were undermining the disarmament it had agreed in principle.
The plan Mr Trump has championed envisages a phased Israeli withdrawal as Palestinian groups give up their weapons, but each side is manoeuvring to avoid moving first. Israel insists on full demilitarisation before any pullback; Hamas says it cannot disarm under fire. The opposition of Mr Netanyahu’s hardline partners to foreign troops in Gaza adds another obstacle, threatening a mechanism meant to police any truce. With the two-week window Washington set ticking down, the framework looked increasingly shaky. Watch whether the stabilisation force is approved and the strikes ease, or the plan falls apart.