Netanyahu blocks Trump’s Gaza plan, exposing limits of U.S. leverage over Israel

President Trump introduced a 15-point Gaza proposal that ties Hamas’s surrender of weapons to a staged Israeli withdrawal, the formation of an international stabilisation mechanism, and a new Palestinian security structure. Prime Minister Netanyahu swiftly rejected the scheme, arguing that Israel cannot retreat until Hamas is "genuinely" disarmed, a standard Israel alone can define and revise. This requirement transforms the disarmament clause into a political escape hatch, allowing Israel to postpone the transition indefinitely.

The clash reveals a deeper dilemma for Washington: whether to soften the plan to win Israeli acceptance or to wield its considerable leverage—such as conditioning military aid—to enforce the original terms. Trump’s promise of decisive American power is being tested against Israel’s ability to shape or veto U.S. diplomatic initiatives. The outcome will indicate how far a U.S. president can go in imposing outcomes on a close ally without incurring political costs.