Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov, the US-backed Board of Peace’s High Representative for Gaza, has defended a 15-point plan for the territory as the only way to prevent a repeat of the October 7, 2023, attack, despite its rejection by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The option we are offering today is the only way forward that ensures this tragedy does not happen again,” Mladenov said in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 television. He added that further discussions were underway and expressed hope that they would produce a positive outcome.
Netanyahu rejected the plan at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, saying Israel would not accept any arrangement requiring its military to withdraw from Gaza before Hamas is fully disarmed. “Israel rejects the 15-point document,” he said, referring to the proposal backed by Hamas in late July.
The Israeli prime minister stressed that the military would “not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed” and would continue operations to protect Israeli troops and civilians. Netanyahu has faced growing pressure from his right-wing political allies to reject the plan, which has become a politically sensitive issue ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections.
