Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel has not consented to a proposed agreement from the White House aimed at initiating the disarmament of the Hamas militant group. He emphasized that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would not retreat from their current positions in Gaza until Hamas has fully disarmed.

Netanyahu’s comments raise concerns regarding the viability of the proposed deal, which was perceived as a possible resolution to the ongoing conflict, and highlight a rare instance of tension between the Israeli government and the Trump administration.

In response to the situation, Jordan’s Foreign Minister has convened an urgent meeting of foreign ministers from across the Islamic world, prompted by alarming reports suggesting an impending Israeli takeover of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

The draft agreement, which emerged from discussions with officials from Trump’s “Board of Peace,” called for Hamas to begin disarming while Israel would cease its military strikes and start withdrawing from approximately 60% of Gaza under its control. However, Netanyahu reiterated that the disarmament of Hamas must take precedence, insisting that Israeli forces would continue to act to safeguard their territory and citizens.

Netanyahu remarked, “The Trump administration sent us a draft. We did not agree. It is not our draft. We provided our feedback. This is our stance.” The ceasefire agreement established last October aimed to disarm Hamas and facilitate Israel’s withdrawal while setting the stage for an International Stabilization Force and an independent Palestinian administration to oversee governance and reconstruction efforts.

Currently, Israel’s position is that Hamas must relinquish its weapons first, while Hamas contends that Israel should halt its strikes and withdraw from the territory before any disarmament occurs. Both parties accuse each other of breaching the terms of the ceasefire. Reports indicate that over 1,252 individuals, predominantly women and children, have died in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the Gaza health ministry, which is associated with the Hamas-led administration.

This ministry’s casualty figures are generally trusted by UN agencies and independent analysts, although they do not differentiate between civilian and militant fatalities. Israel asserts that its military actions target individuals posing threats to its soldiers and those involved in the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023. Since the ceasefire, five Israeli soldiers have also been reported killed.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with a significant portion of its 2 million residents displaced. Many are living in tent camps, where inadequate conditions have resulted in rodent infestations and outbreaks of communicable diseases such as chickenpox.

In a related development, Jordan has raised alarms regarding a potential “imminent” threat to the Al-Aqsa mosque, leading to the convening of an emergency meeting of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers on Wednesday. This gathering will include representatives from Arab League nations, as well as Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Pakistan, according to the Jordanian government.

The urgency for this meeting stems from recent intrusions by right-wing Israeli groups into the mosque compound and the Dome of the Rock, which, despite being located in Jerusalem, falls under Jordanian control as per a delicate “status quo” agreement. Notably, on July 23, over 2,000 Jewish religious extremists, predominantly settlers led by Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, entered the compound, which holds significant religious importance for both Muslims and Jews.

While the site is regarded as the third-holiest in Islam, Israel’s chief rabbinate and most ultra-Orthodox rabbis advise against Jewish prayer within the compound due to religious laws. Additionally, there have been allegations of Israeli leaders attempting to recruit hardline religious Jews to establish a Temple Mount police unit, alongside reports from the pro-Qatari news outlet Middle East Eye suggesting that the US and Israel are working to alter Jordan’s custodianship of the compound to favor an Israeli administration that would implement a “multi-faith” management approach.

Jordan’s decision to initiate the foreign ministers’ meeting was first reported by The Guardian, which quoted Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressing concern over the situation, particularly with significant Jewish holidays approaching in September and a contentious Israeli election scheduled for October, where Netanyahu and his far-right coalition aim to retain power. Safadi warned that any disruption to the status quo could ignite a religious conflict with repercussions extending beyond Palestine and Jordan, stressing that “Jerusalem is a tinderbox. We’re trying to convey the gravity of the situation.”