Beirut: 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 source emphasized understanding Netanyahu's political needs during this election period. The US has no issues with Netanyahu's stance as long as he continues to adhere to US requests, particularly in controlling strikes in Gaza.
Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu dismissed a 15-point roadmap endorsed by US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which calls for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, stating that the Israeli army would remain in Gaza until Hamas is disarmed.
The channel reported that Netanyahu had a conversation with Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, last week, expressing skepticism about Hamas's willingness to disarm. Despite this, Netanyahu indicated a willingness to limit Israeli attacks in Gaza and avoid deploying the army beyond the Yellow Line, which separates areas controlled by the army from zones where Palestinians can move freely. This line covers approximately 70% of the Gaza Strip.
US officials, as per the channel, believe Netanyahu has honored his commitment to refrain from attacks in Gaza over the past five days. They assert they can now inform Hamas that no attacks have occurred in Gaza during this period and that Israeli forces have stayed behind the Yellow Line, urging the group to begin disarming.
The conflict has resulted in the Israeli army killing over 73,000 people and injuring more than 174,000 in Gaza since October 2023. Despite a ceasefire that started on Oct. 10, 2025, as part of the initial phase of Trump's Gaza plan, Israel continues 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 involves transferring Gaza's administration to a Palestinian technocratic committee, deploying an international stabilization force, placing weapons under the National Committee for Gaza Administration's responsibility under international supervision, alongside a phased Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction efforts.
Israel maintains that disarmament must be completed prior to any withdrawal, while the roadmap announced by the Board of Peace and accepted by Hamas calls for these steps to be implemented gradually and simultaneously.
On Sunday, Hamas reiterated its commitment to the roadmap agreed with mediators and the Board of Peace to fulfill the second phase of Trump's plan for Gaza.