Israel Rejects US Plan to Disarm Gaza Before Elections

Israel’s government has formally rejected a U.S.-brokered framework aimed at disarming Gaza, saying the proposal fails to address what it describes as major security risks. Officials tied the decision to the ongoing war posture, arguing that any arrangement must ensure Hamas is fully disarmed before Israel changes its military stance in the enclave.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will keep its current military positions until Hamas is completely disarmed. His statement cut against earlier claims that the plan had Israeli backing, making clear that the government does not consider the U.S.-supported framework acceptable in its current form.

Netanyahu links troop posture to Hamas disarmament

The government’s rejection is framed around an insistence that disarmament must come first, rather than being part of a phased or negotiated sequence. Officials presented this as a red line, arguing that leaving or reducing military positions without full disarmament would expose Israel to renewed threats.

Analysts said the decision also reflects domestic political constraints ahead of Israel’s October elections. In this view, the current administration has limited room to accept an arrangement that could be portrayed as a concession, particularly while it is publicly committed to achieving what it calls “absolute victory.”

Verification roles for Qatar and Turkey seen as politically untenable Analysts said elements of the U.S.-brokered plan are politically difficult for the government to accept, including any structure that would involve Qatar and Turkey in verification roles. They argued that, under current political conditions, accepting external verification mechanisms tied to those states would be highly contentious.

The same analysts said the governing coalition’s rhetoric and stated war aims raise the political cost of any step that could be interpreted as accommodating Hamas. As a result, they said the election calendar is a central factor shaping the government’s rejection of the proposal.

Israel expands Gaza footprint and signals longer-term deployment

Israel is continuing to expand its military presence in Gaza. Current operations are described as covering about 60 percent of the territory, according to the source material, underscoring the scale of the existing deployment.

Military directives indicate an intention to increase that control to 70 percent. Analysts said this points to a posture designed for endurance, suggesting that the current footprint is not being treated as a short-term deployment that would automatically unwind through near-term diplomacy.

Experts also said that even if Israel’s government changes after the October elections, an immediate shift toward major concessions or a rapid withdrawal is unlikely. They argued that policy continuity on core security demands could persist regardless of electoral outcomes, at least in the short term.