JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday that Israel rejects a 15-point Gaza peace roadmap plan presented by the US-led "Board of Peace," maintaining that Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed.
The announcement marks Israel's first official and straightforward rejection of the plan.
Netanyahu told the weekly cabinet meeting that Israeli forces, which Israeli officials had previously estimated control about 70 percent of Gaza, will continue to carry out attacks in the enclave to "thwart threats."
"When I say disarming Hamas, I mean the heavy weapons, the less heavy weapons -- all weapons," Netanyahu said.
Israel is still in talks with the United States about the document of the plan, he said. "They have ideas, some of which are acceptable to us and some of which are not, and we know how to stand our ground on these matters."
