Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of US deal for Gaza is risky move

Key Points:

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly rejected a US-backed 15-point Gaza deal, despite reports he was privately negotiating a pilot military withdrawal in southern Gaza days earlier, highlighting tensions between his domestic and international allies.
• Netanyahu faces pressure from far-right coalition partners demanding intensified attacks and settlement expansion in Gaza, while former US President Donald Trump supports a diplomatic settlement returning Gaza to Palestinian control through the Board of Peace initiative.
• Israeli military commanders were reportedly blindsided by Netanyahu’s public rejection of the plan after previously discussing implementation details with him, including the deployment of an international force to replace Israeli troops in specific Gaza areas.
• Despite Netanyahu’s defiance of US pressure to end conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, he has recently taken some conciliatory military steps, such as raising the threshold for airstrikes in Gaza, suggesting a complex balancing act ahead of Israel’s October elections.
• Palestinians in Gaza continue to suffer from ongoing violence and humanitarian crises, with over 1,200 deaths since last October and severe shortages of essential supplies, while international efforts for ceasefire and reconstruction remain stalled amid political uncertainties.