Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will not withdraw the IDF to the original Yellow Line in Gaza until Hamas is completely disarmed and the territory fully demilitarized.
Speaking in a video posted Tuesday, Netanyahu said Israel had received a draft proposal from the Board of Peace but had not accepted it. He said Israel returned comments on the plan and rejected any withdrawal before Hamas gives up its weapons.
“President Trump thinks, or his team thinks, that they can get Hamas to disarm and demilitarize Gaza. We are looking into it,” Netanyahu said. “They sent us a draft. We did not agree to it.”
The Board of Peace proposal links Hamas’s disarmament to an Israeli military pullback. Under the October 2025 ceasefire and hostage-release agreement, the IDF had withdrawn to the Yellow Line and retained control of roughly 53 percent of Gaza. Israeli forces have since expanded their presence to more than 60 percent of the territory.
Hamas reportedly accepted the framework last week, but Netanyahu’s remarks make clear that Israel does not support the current draft. Jerusalem’s position remains that military withdrawals will occur only after Hamas is fully disarmed and Gaza can no longer threaten Israel.
