• Source:JND
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly ruled out the possibility of a Palestinian state, even while he supported a US-mediated peace initiative for Gaza presented by US President Donald Trump. The plan, presented at the White House, aims to bring an end to nearly two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas but falls short of moving on Palestinian dreams of statehood.

In a video statement released on his Telegram channel after returning from Washington, Netanyahu stressed that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) would remain in “most of the territory” under the terms of the proposal. “Absolutely not, and it is not written in the agreement either,” he said when asked if a Palestinian state had been part of the deal. “We are firmly opposed to a Palestinian state. President Trump also said this; he declared at the UN that such a move would be a huge reward for terror and a danger to the state of Israel.”

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‘Turning The Tables’ On Hamas

Netanyahu framed his US visit as a diplomatic victory. “Instead of Hamas leading to our isolation, we turned the tables and isolated Hamas,” he said. “Now the entire world, including the Arab and Muslim world, is pressuring Hamas to accept the conditions we set together with President Trump.”

The peace proposal requires Hamas to disarm and release all Israeli hostages, both dead and alive, within 72 hours of Israel’s acceptance. In return, Israel would release 250 Palestinians serving life sentences, 1,700 detainees held since the October 2023 conflict, and the remains of deceased Palestinians on a 15-for-one exchange basis.

The deal also envisions an immediate halt to hostilities, humanitarian aid, and promises of reconstruction for Gaza, though it explicitly excludes Hamas from any governing role in the territory’s future.

Internal Israeli Opposition

While Netanyahu has endorsed the plan, it has drawn criticism within Israel. Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right finance minister and a key member of Netanyahu’s coalition, dismissed it as a “resounding diplomatic failure” and warned, “In my estimation, it will also end in tears. Our children will be forced to fight in Gaza again.”

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Hamas has not issued an official response. A senior official told the Associated Press that the group would “begin studying it today” with other Palestinian factions, after receiving the proposal via Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The official did not specify when a decision might be announced. International support for the plan has grown, with world leaders urging both sides to seize the opportunity to halt the bloodshed.