Israel Voices Gaza Plan Concerns to U.S. as Strikes Continue
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- Netanyahu's office conveyed 'comments and concerns' to the US about Trump's Gaza plan, with spokesman Doron Spielman saying the publicly released version 'does not reflect Israel's positions' and demanding more concrete Hamas disarmament.
- Israel accused Hamas of rearming and recruiting since the October ceasefire and preparing for 'further October 7-style massacres,' insisting 'genuine, verifiable and irreversible demilitarisation' is the 'indispensable first step' to any lasting arrangement.
- Trump called Hamas's July 31 announcement to hand over weapons under his plan a 'major milestone' and told reporters Israel was 'very happy,' though Netanyahu has not spoken about it publicly.
- The Board of Peace roadmap dated July 30 called on Israel to complete ceasefire commitments 'fully' and 'without delay' and to carry out a 'phased withdrawal' from Gaza — a step Israel has so far refused without verified disarmament.
- Israeli strikes killed 19 Palestinians, including women and children, since early Sunday August 2, and a Saturday strike destroyed a large quantity of medical supplies, according to Palestinian authorities.
- Mohammad Dahlan, a senior Palestinian figure central to the Gaza plan, said Jared Kushner told him Israel would halt strikes effective Sunday, then revised his post and accused Netanyahu of working 'to obstruct the most promising opportunity to begin ending this war.'
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog broke from Netanyahu's tone, calling Trump's Gaza efforts a 'certain vision of hope' contingent on Hamas being disarmed.
Why it matters: Netanyahu's public silence on a 'major milestone' Trump personally championed — paired with formal 'concerns' to Washington — exposes a real fracture in an alliance Netanyahu has politically traded on ahead of October elections. With Israel still controlling over 60% of Gaza and more than 1,200 Palestinians killed since the ceasefire, the roadmap's demand for a 'phased withdrawal' directly collides with Israel's insistence it stays until Hamas is verifiably disarmed.
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