Netanyahu gave a ‘victory to Hamas’ by rejecting US-backed Gaza peace plan

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a US-backed peace plan for Gaza last week offered a diplomatic victory to Hamas, according to some analysts. The Palestinian Islamist movement had agreed to gradually give up weapons in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but agreeing on the definition of "disarmament" may prove a sticking point.

By Grégoire SAUVAGE