Netanyahu rejects sector-by-sector Gaza withdrawal during meeting with Kushner
During a four-hour meeting with U.S. envoy Jared Kushner on August 18, 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a proposal by the "Board of Peace" for a phased IDF withdrawal from Gaza. The plan suggested a sector-by-sector redeployment as areas were verified as demilitarized. Netanyahu maintained that no withdrawal will occur until Hamas—which currently controls approximately 47% of the territory—is completely disarmed and all tunnels are decommissioned. The disagreement has stalled progress on a permanent post-war security framework.