Israel Will Not Withdraw From Gaza Until Hamas Disarms, Says Netanyahu

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday reiterated that Israel will not withdraw its forces from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas completely disarms. He said the government has instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to take every necessary step to protect Israeli citizens, territory and military personnel.

Addressing reports about a proposed peace framework, Netanyahu said the White House had shared a draft agreement following US President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups. He clarified that Israel did not accept the proposal in its existing form and instead submitted its own observations and amendments.

Hamas announced that it had accepted the latest version of the roadmap for the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire following intensive negotiations.

The group linked any arrangements regarding its weapons to a complete end to Israeli military operations, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and progress on reconstruction efforts.

Over the weekend, Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed dozens of people, including children and other civilians, across Gaza.

The developments prompted Qatar, Egypt, and Turkiye, which are mediating the ceasefire negotiations, to jointly condemn the attacks.

Earlier, senior administration officials said Hamas had agreed to relinquish both its civilian and military governing role under an internationally backed roadmap proposed as part of President Trump’s peace initiative.

The proposal seeks to transfer authority to an independent National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which would oversee civilian governance, internal security and public institutions during a transitional period.

The roadmap also calls for a comprehensive audit of Gaza’s financial and administrative systems before reconstruction begins, while placing the territory’s governance under the new transitional Palestinian administration.

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Pragati Upadhyay

I report stories and occasionally rescue facts from chaos. By profession, I’m a journalist; by conviction, a social worker who believes words should move people, not just headlines. I question power, celebrate ordinary heroes, and sometimes irritate the comfortable. If truth had a shift, I’d probably be working overtime.