Netanyahu gave a ‘victory to Hamas’ by rejecting US-backed Gaza peace plan

Hamas would be required to gradually give up its weapons in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territory of Gaza under the peace plan announced by US President Donald Trump in July. But the deal remains stalled for now. While Hamas agreed to the plan's call to disarm, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the plan more than a week later, undermining the prospect of peace coming to the beleaguered Palestinian territory anytime soon. Netanyahu’s announcement came as little surprise to observers of the conflict, as far-right Israeli politicians have said withdrawal from Gaza would be “unacceptable”. The Israeli military now controls nearly 70% of the 365-square-kilometre (140-square-mile) territory. The US plan calls for disarmament and storing the Hamas arsenal to be handled by the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a Palestinian technocratic body set up in January to run the enclave during a transitional phase. But the NCAG has yet to be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip and currently remains blocked in Egypt due to Israel’s refusal to let it enter the territory. Read moreWhat we know about the Hamas disarmament deal announced b...