Netanyahu Seeks to Rewrite US Gaza Plan
Benjamin Netanyahu pressed his objections to President Trump’s Gaza plan on Wednesday, saying Israel had not agreed to it and submitting amendments of his own. The Israeli leader again insisted his forces would not withdraw from their current positions until Hamas had fully disarmed, resisting the phased pullback the American framework envisages. A US envoy met him in Israel to discuss the next phase of the ceasefire.
Mr Netanyahu’s manoeuvring further muddied a plan Mr Trump has publicly claimed Israel supports, laying bare the gap between Washington’s optimism and its ally’s stance. By seeking to redraft the terms rather than reject them outright, the Israeli leader keeps a foot in the process while extracting conditions favourable to Israel and his hardline coalition partners. Hamas, for its part, will not disarm without a firm timetable for withdrawal. With mistrust entrenched and the strikes continuing, the framework remains stuck. Watch whether Mr Trump accepts the amendments or leans on Israel to fall into line.