CAIRO — Hamas has endorsed a U.S.-backed 15-point roadmap for ending the Gaza war and disarming armed groups, but the proposal faces a major obstacle after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected any Israeli military withdrawal before Hamas is fully disarmed.
The plan, developed by U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, envisages a phased process in which Hamas and other armed factions give up their weapons while Israel withdraws from Gaza in stages. It also calls for a U.S.-backed Palestinian technocratic administration to govern the enclave and for an International Stabilization Force to support security and humanitarian operations.
Trump said on July 30 that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups had agreed to a roadmap for complete disarmament. Reuters reported that the proposal followed talks in Cairo involving Hamas and mediators from Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. Hamas has supported the framework but has tied implementation of disarmament measures to Israeli steps, including an end to military attacks and withdrawal from Gaza.
Netanyahu has rejected that sequencing. In televised remarks and comments to his government, he said Israel would not withdraw from its current positions until Hamas was genuinely and completely disarmed, including its heavy and light weapons. He also said Israel had received a draft from Washington but had not agreed to it.
The Israeli position contrasts with the roadmap's phased approach, under which Israeli withdrawals would be linked to internationally verified progress in weapons decommissioning. The plan also provides for reconstruction to begin in areas certified as demilitarized and for the Palestinian National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to assume civilian responsibilities.
The dispute has exposed a central disagreement over the order in which the commitments should be carried out. Hamas has indicated that it is prepared to engage with the disarmament process if Israel fulfills its own obligations, while Israel insists that complete disarmament must precede withdrawal. Reuters reported that Hamas also disputes additional conditions concerning light weapons that emerged during negotiations.
The U.S.-backed initiative remains formally active despite Netanyahu's rejection. A Gaza Board of Peace official said on Monday that the plan was still progressing and that implementation would proceed in stages based on verified commitments, with Israel not expected to make irreversible moves solely on trust.
Negotiations therefore remain focused on the sequencing and verification of Hamas' disarmament and Israel's withdrawal, with the Board of Peace continuing efforts to secure agreement on implementation.
