Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out the creation of a Palestinian state under the Gaza plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Speaking in a video statement on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that during talks in Washington, he had not agreed to such a move and that the plan itself made no reference to Palestinian statehood.
“There is one thing we made clear: we strongly oppose a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu declared, describing his visit to the United States as “historic” and “excellent.”
He insisted that the plan had succeeded in shifting international pressure onto Hamas rather than Israel, claiming that Arab and Muslim countries were now urging the group to accept the conditions laid out by Washington and Tel Aviv for the release of all Israeli hostages. These conditions would allow the Israeli army to maintain a presence across much of Gaza.
Netanyahu added that President Trump had promised full backing for Israel to continue its military operation and “eliminate” Hamas should the group reject the proposal.
The comments came after Trump unveiled a 20-point plan at the White House on Monday alongside Netanyahu.
The proposal calls for the release of all Israeli captives in exchange for dozens of Palestinian prisoners, the complete disarmament of Hamas, a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the creation of a technocratic, non-political Palestinian committee to administer Gaza.
Qatar confirmed on Tuesday that Hamas had received the plan through mediators late on Monday.
Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The destruction has left Gaza largely uninhabitable, with severe shortages of food and medicine, alongside the spread of disease.
