Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace's high representative for Gaza, has said that the full implementation of a US-led Gaza plan that was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday is Israel’s only “guarantee” of preventing a repeat of the October 7, 2023 attacks. "The option we are offering today is the only way forward that ensures this tragedy does not happen again," Mladenov told Israel's Channel 12 television. He said he hoped for a "positive outcome" from follow-up discussions with Israel, and characterized the latest stage of the deal as a commitment involving the United States, Hamas and the Board of Peace -- notably leaving out Israel. Mladenov again promised that Israel would not face any obligations until Hamas gave up all its weapons, down to Kalashnikov rifles -- but said Israel would eventually need to pull out. Hamas, which publicly backed the plan days after selecting a new leader, Khalil al-Hayya, called on Washington to push Netanyahu. "We expect the mediators and the American guarantor to pressure Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap, and not obstruct the process for internal political and electoral reasons," Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas' political bureau, told AFP. Hamas in a statement said it was still committed to the plan. But after more than a week of gradually escalating criticism of the plan, and despite receiving assurances that Israel would not need to start withdrawing in Gaza immediately, Netanyahu explicitly opposed the deal following pushback from his right-wing allies. "Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu said. The Israeli military "will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed, and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens," he told a cabinet meeting.
