Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country’s forces will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip until the Islamic group Hamas is disarmed.
US President Donald Trump revealed last month that Hamas had agreed to lay down its arms as part of the Gaza peace plan.
The group later released a statement saying Israel must stop “all forms of aggression” and withdraw from the enclave as conditions for its disarmament.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu said in a social media post that Israel will not compromise on security. He said Israeli forces will not retreat from their current positions until Hamas is completely disarmed.
The prime minister also said Trump and his aides believed Hamas could be disarmed and Gaza demilitarized, and sent a draft. He added that Israel did not agree to it.
Hamas’ disarmament and the Israeli military’s withdrawal are major issues in the US-led Gaza peace plan.