Netanyahu: Israel Will Not Withdraw from Gaza Until Hamas Completely Disarms

JAKARTA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his first public statement regarding US President Donald Trump's announcement of a disarmament agreement with Hamas. Netanyahu stressed that Israel would not withdraw from Gaza before Hamas disarmament was completed.

In a short video message, the Israeli leader did not mention Iran and only discussed Gaza - an issue that has put him under pressure from the White House to fully implement a ceasefire and support Hamas' commitment.

In a statement addressed directly to Israeli voters - who will cast ballots in general elections in late October - Netanyahu sought to play down the significance of US efforts to regulate the sequence of Hamas' initial disarmament steps in Gaza, coupled with the partial withdrawal of Israeli forces and the cessation of air raids.

Netanyahu's statement was also uploaded on his personal social media account.

"We will not back down from our current position until Hamas is completely disarmed. That's the first point. Second, we instruct the IDF to do whatever it takes to protect itself, protect our territory, and protect our citizens," Netanyahu said.

Israeli sources told CNN, the IDF can now only operate in the face of a direct threat in Gaza, while targeted assassination operations now require the approval of the chief of staff.

Previously, attacks on individuals deemed a threat to Israel - regardless of their actions at any given time - could be approved at a lower level, namely by the head of the IDF Southern Command.

Trump announced Hamas' pledge to disarm through a post on Truth Social on Thursday night local time. This triggered an increase in Israeli attacks on Gaza over three days that killed at least 28 people - the highest number of casualties in recent weeks.

Two senior envoys from Trump's peace team, Nickolay Mladenov and Aryeh Lightfoot, urged Netanyahu to change course in a meeting in Jerusalem on Monday. Since then, only one Israeli attack has been launched on Gaza, killing two people.

In his message on Tuesday, August 4, Netanyahu sought to assure Israeli voters that Trump's latest move on Gaza was not a definitive final decision.

"President Trump and his team are convinced that they can realize the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza," Netanyahu said.

"We are studying it. They have sent us a draft. We have not agreed to anything... We have sent them our response," he continued.