Baku: The US administration 'is not troubled' by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of a US-backed roadmap for Gaza and views his remarks as 'a case of election politics,' Israeli media reported Sunday. 'We are not troubled by those comments from Netanyahu,' a senior US source told Israel's Channel 12.
According to Anadolu Agency, the US source stated, 'We understand his political needs [in this election period]. We have no problem with that, as long as he continues to do what we ask - especially as regards reining in the strikes in Gaza.' The comments follow Netanyahu's early Sunday rejection of a 15-point roadmap endorsed by US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which calls for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, with Netanyahu insisting that his army will remain in Gaza until Hamas is disarmed.
The report further elaborates that Netanyahu had discussions last week with Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, expressing skepticism about Hamas' willingness to disarm. Despite his rejection, Netanyahu claimed readiness to give the roadmap a chance by limiting Israeli attacks in Gaza and refraining from deploying the army outside the Yellow Line, which separates areas occupied by the army from zones where Palestinians are allowed to move. The Yellow Line constitutes around 70% of the Gaza Strip.
The channel noted that US officials believe Netanyahu has adhered to his pledge of not conducting attacks in Gaza over the last five days. As per the outlet, US officials now believe they can communicate to Hamas that no attacks have occurred in Gaza for five days and that Israeli forces have remained behind the Yellow Line, urging the group to commence disarming.
The Israeli army has reportedly killed more than 73,000 people and injured over 174,000 others in a brutal offensive in Gaza since October 2023. Despite a ceasefire that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025, as part of the first phase of Trump's Gaza plan, Israel has continued its daily attacks, resulting in at least 1,258 deaths and 4,139 injuries, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
The second phase of Trump's plan envisages the transfer of administration in Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee, deploying an international stabilization force, placing weapons under the responsibility of the National Committee for Gaza Administration under international supervision, alongside a phased Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction efforts. However, Israel insists that disarmament must be completed before any withdrawal, while the roadmap announced by the Board of Peace and accepted by Hamas calls for the two steps to be implemented gradually and in parallel.
On Sunday, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the roadmap agreed with mediators and the Board of Peace to complete the second phase of Trump's plan for Gaza.