‘Election politics’: White House not concerned by Netanyahu’s Gaza plan rejection

Trump administration officials had expressed determination to secure Netanyahu’s endorsement, with some warning he would face public blame if he blocked the deal.

By Bianca Jones, JFeed

The White House has signaled it is not troubled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public rejection of President Trump’s 15-point Gaza peace plan, viewing his opposition as campaign positioning ahead of October elections, according to reporting by Axios citing U.S. officials.

“We understand Bibi’s political needs. We have no problem with it as long as he continues to do what we ask, especially regarding restraining attacks in Gaza,” a U.S. official told Axios on Saturday.

Netanyahu on Sunday rejected the Board of Peace’s roadmap in a cabinet meeting, explicitly stating that “Israel rejects the 15-point document.”

The Israeli military, he said, will not withdraw from Gaza until Hamas is “completely disarmed,” contradicting the plan’s sequencing of phased withdrawal alongside disarmament steps.

The White House’s measured response contrasts with its earlier frustration over the plan’s negotiation.

Trump administration officials had expressed determination to secure Netanyahu’s endorsement, with some warning he would face public blame if he blocked the deal.

The Board of Peace, which Trump established to oversee postwar Gaza, has been pressing for Hamas disarmament in parallel with Israeli pullback.

According to the Axios report, Israel has since scaled back military operations and begun redeploying toward the original Yellow Line positions that Israel held under the October 2025 ceasefire agreement.

The U.S. and mediators are now intensifying pressure on Hamas to commence disarmament, framing the moves as prerequisites for full implementation of the roadmap.

Netanyahu’s public stance, delivered to right-wing coalition allies who opposed any territorial concessions, serves dual purposes: it shores up domestic support while the administration’s primary operational concern remains limiting escalation.

The arrangement appears to reflect a tacit understanding between Washington and Jerusalem, in which Netanyahu maintains rhetorical opposition while operational constraints do the work of restraint.

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