Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Plan: Israel Won't Withdraw Until Hamas Is 'Genuinely Disarmed' Authored by Tom Gantert via The Epoch Times, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated on Aug. 9 that Israel has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace's plan for Gaza and will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed. Palestinians walk past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, at Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Aug. 5, 2026. Mahmoud Issa/Reuters Trump posted on Truth Social in July that an agreement had been reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. Trump said the agreement is part of his plan that will be implemented in phases. As disarmament takes place, Israeli forces would withdraw, while an International Stabilization Force and a new Palestinian police force would assume responsibility for security. Gaza would ultimately be governed by a new Palestinian government working with the Board of Peace. The Board of Peace is an international organization chaired by Trump that seeks to promote stability, establish lawful governance, and secure lasting peace in areas affected by conflict. Its founding members include the United States, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and more than 20 other countries committed to international peace-building efforts, according to its website. Speaking at the start of a government meeting on Aug. 9, Netanyahu said disarmament must include all of Hamas's weapons and must be genuine rather than "fictitious." He said Israel is discussing the issue with the United States and that some U.S. proposals are acceptable to Israel, while others are not. Netanyahu also said Israeli forces would continue acting against threats to Israeli troops and civilians. He rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state. "As for the Gaza Strip: First and foremost, I wish to clarify the main point: As long as I am Prime Minister, a Palestinian state will not be established, neither in Gaza nor in Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said in a statement. He also addressed Iran and Lebanon, pledging to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and saying Israel is conducting an important military operation in Lebanon aimed at eliminating threats. Israel has been conducting operations in Lebanon. Two Israeli reservists were killed and four others were seriously wounded during operations recently in southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli military. Lebanese authorities said an Israeli strike also killed one person and wounded 12 others in the town of Tibnin, Lebanon. Israel gave an evacuation warning to residents before the strike. The incidents come as the United States conducts talks aimed at reducing hostilities along the Israel-Lebanon border and advancing a broader peace agreement. U.S. officials said the discussions include the disarmament of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed threats, the redeployment of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and the implementation of a pilot zone process transferring security responsibilities to the Lebanese army. Tyler Durden Sun, 08/09/2026 - 22:10
Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Plan: Israel Won't Withdraw Until Hamas Is 'Genuinely Disarmed' Authored by Tom Gantert via The Epoch Times, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated on Aug. 9 that Israel has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's Board of Peace's plan for …
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Yemen’s Houthi movement accused Saudi Arabia of conducting airstrikes and missile attacks on multiple provinces, claims corroborated by unnamed government military sources but not officially acknowledged by Riyadh. These reported strikes coincide with intense fighting near the Red Sea coast that has resulted in over 300 casualties and widespread displacement, as Houthi forces advance toward the Bab al-Mandab strait.
Iranian state television has broadcast footage it said showed ballistic missile attacks on a US aircraft carrier and destroyer, as Iran and the United States exchanged strikes on military and oil-related targets in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the two US warships were targeted with Iranian-made Qasem Basir ballistic missiles, alleging that the vessels had participated in a naval blockade of Iranian shipping.
The IRGC claimed the missiles damaged both vessels and forced them to withdraw from the area. The footage broadcast by Iranian state media was presented as documenting the attacks, but the claims of direct hits and damage could not be independently verified.
The Iranian military described the strikes as retaliation for US attacks on three Iranian oil tankers. The US military said on Saturday that it had targeted three tankers linked to the Revolutionary Guard, permanently disabling two and destroying a third.
It described the vessels as part of a network generating funds for the IRGC and Iran-aligned groups in the region. READ: Iran shifting military doctrine toward preemptive attack: Army spokesman According to the US military, one tanker was targeted off Kharg Island, the site of Iran’s largest oil export terminal, another near the Strait of Hormuz, and the third in the Gulf of Oman.
The Revolutionary Guard confirmed that three Iranian tankers had been attacked and subsequently announced retaliatory operations against US naval assets. In a separate statement on Sunday, the IRGC said its naval forces had targeted a US unmanned surface vessel that it claimed was attempting to enter a restricted area of the Strait of Hormuz.
The outcome of that attack was not independently confirmed. Iranian authorities also said their forces had targeted three oil tankers that were allegedly transiting the strait without authorization, as well as several US warships in other locations.
The exchanges come amid heightened military tensions between Washington and Tehran and stalled diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. The United States has also intensified economic pressure on Iran through sanctions and restrictions targeting Iranian oil revenues and entities linked to the Revolutionary Guard.
Iranian officials announced plans to designate a new restricted zone in the Gulf and establish a shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, which state media reported would be signed in the coming days. These statements were made by Mohsen Rezaei against the backdrop of recent strikes on shipping vessels, which contributed to higher oil prices, and a preliminary ceasefire agreement that has reportedly unraveled.
An Iranian academic has warned that Tehran may target South Korean economic and military assets in the Gulf if Seoul participates in US-led operations in the Strait of Hormuz, though South Korea has stated it is currently considering options and has not made a decision on contributing naval forces.