Summary:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on 9 August that Israel rejects the Board of Peace’s 15-point Gaza roadmap, stating that the Israel Defense Forces will carry out no withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed of all weapons. The announcement follows Hamas’s acceptance of the roadmap in late July and comes amid continued IDF operations that have eliminated named Hamas and other operatives. Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the document while calling for Israeli compliance, and Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov described the plan as the only path forward based on verified steps. Israel remains in talks with the United States on the issue.
Detailed Report
1. Netanyahu Formally Rejects the 15-Point Document
At the opening of the weekly cabinet meeting on 9 August 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: “Israel does not accept the 15-point document. The IDF will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed. And when I say the disarming of Hamas, it means heavy weaponry, lighter weaponry, all weaponry. And we are talking about genuine disarmament, not fictitious disarmament.”
He added that Israel is discussing the matter with the United States: “They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some of which are unacceptable, and we know how to stand firm against these things.” Netanyahu further affirmed that “the IDF will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens” and reiterated that, as long as he is prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established in Gaza or Judea and Samaria.
2. Background: The Board of Peace Gaza Roadmap
The Board of Peace, established under President Donald Trump’s 20-point Comprehensive Plan and endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, released its 15-point roadmap on 30–31 July 2026 for completing the second phase of the October 2025 ceasefire. The document sets out phased, verified decommissioning of Hamas and other factions’ heavy weapons, production sites, depots and tunnels; transfer of governance and security functions to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza; deployment of an International Stabilization Force; and a linked Israeli withdrawal, all under international verification.
Hamas accepted the roadmap shortly after its release. Israel did not endorse the published terms at the time, with officials indicating they fell short of requirements for complete demilitarisation before any pull-back from current lines, including the Yellow Line.
3. Hamas and Board of Peace Responses
Hamas issued a statement on 9 August reaffirming its commitment to the roadmap agreed with the mediators and the Board of Peace. It called for a clear timetable and for all parties to abide by the agreement, listing priorities that included a complete ceasefire, end to attacks, full Israeli withdrawal, opening of crossings, entry of aid, reconstruction, and the assumption of duties by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. Senior official Basem Naim said Hamas expects mediators and the United States to press Israel to adhere to the roadmap.
Nickolay Mladenov, High Representative for Gaza of the Board of Peace, told Israel’s Channel 12 that the Board of Peace plan is “the only way forward that ensures this tragedy does not happen again” and is built on verified steps rather than trust. He stated that Israel is not required to withdraw before verified decommissioning occurs and that withdrawal would proceed sector by sector, subject to compliance.
4. Netanyahu’s Coalition Presses Hard Line on Disarmament
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed Netanyahu’s clarification, stating that the military cannot withdraw “even a millimeter” and that reconstruction cannot begin before the complete dismantling of Hamas. Other hardline figures within Netanyahu’s governing coalition had previously pressed for formal rejection of the published terms and reconsideration of related cabinet decisions on the International Stabilization Force.
Netanyahu noted that talks with the United States are ongoing, with some American ideas acceptable to Israel and others not. The government has maintained that any process must achieve real, verifiable removal of all Hamas military capability.
5. IDF Continues Operations and Confirms Key Eliminations
Since the Board of Peace released its 15-point roadmap, the Israel Defense Forces have continued operations in Gaza. Official IDF statements described these as precise actions to eliminate terrorists who posed threats to troops and civilians, including individuals involved in planning attacks, rebuilding military capabilities, or linked to the 7 October 2023 assault.
The IDF publicly confirmed the following eliminations in the period:
• Muhammad Al-Abed, a Hamas supply officer involved in smuggling weapons into Gaza and facilitating the excavation of smuggling tunnels, and Ahmad Ma’in Muhammad Anqar, a Hamas commander (announced around 31 July). The IDF stated both had advanced terrorist attack plans targeting Israeli civilians and IDF troops in recent months.
• Salem Jamal Abd al-Rahman Abu Labad, a Hamas Nukhba commander who infiltrated Kibbutz Nir Oz during the 7 October 2023 massacre, and Muhammad Abd al-Nasser Muhammad Khatib, a commander in Hamas’s Maghazi Battalion (weekend into early August).
• Alaa Imad Khamis Tarams of the Army of Islam, Hassan Ibrahim Shehadeh Qahman of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Ahmad Khudar, a commander in Hamas’s Jabalya Battalion. The IDF said all three had attempted to advance terror attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.
• Mahmoud Fatair, a Nukhba commander in the Islamic Jihad’s Central Gaza Brigade (announced around 3 August). The IDF stated that Fatair infiltrated Israel on 7 October, took part in holding an Israeli hostage in Islamic Jihad custody, and was documented in Islamic Jihad uniform during a hostage handover ceremony.
The IDF said the operatives posed threats and were eliminated in precise strikes, with measures taken to mitigate civilian harm through the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance. Around early August, authorisation requirements for certain targeted elimination strikes were tightened, requiring higher-level approval, while forces retained authority to respond to immediate threats. Netanyahu’s 9 August remarks confirmed that the IDF would continue to thwart threats against its forces and citizens.
Conclusion
Israel’s formal rejection of the 15-point document establishes a clear precondition of complete and genuine Hamas disarmament before any IDF withdrawal. The Board of Peace and Hamas continue to treat the roadmap as the agreed framework, while military activity against named threats has continued, subject to adjusted authorisation rules. Discussions between Israel and the United States remain open.