{"id":66214,"date":"2026-08-09T08:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T12:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/netanyahu-rejects-gaza-disarmament-plan-as-iran-teases-rare-khamenei-footage\/66214\/"},"modified":"2026-08-09T08:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T12:08:14","slug":"netanyahu-rejects-gaza-disarmament-plan-as-iran-teases-rare-khamenei-footage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/netanyahu-rejects-gaza-disarmament-plan-as-iran-teases-rare-khamenei-footage\/66214\/","title":{"rendered":"Netanyahu Rejects Gaza Disarmament Plan as Iran Teases Rare Khamenei Footage"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Israel rejects the &quot;Board of Peace&quot; roadmap<\/strong>, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding the full surrender of all <strong>heavy and light weapons<\/strong> by Hamas before any IDF withdrawal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iran\u2019s Basij forces announce the upcoming release of footage<\/strong> featuring Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, aimed at quashing persistent rumors regarding his health and physical condition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Netanyahu asserts diplomatic independence<\/strong>, stating Israel will stand firm against its &quot;best friends,&quot; including the <strong>United States<\/strong>, when national security interests are at stake.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hamas&#39;s agreement to a phased disarmament<\/strong> has failed to move the needle for the Israeli government, which has expanded its control to over <strong>60% of the Gaza enclave<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The Iranian regime faces internal pressure<\/strong> as Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a confirmed public appearance since succeeding his father in <strong>March 2026<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Netanyahu Hardens Stance on Gaza Demilitarization<\/h2>\n<p>Israeli Prime Minister <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong> has formally rejected a U.S.-backed disarmament plan for Gaza, insisting that the <strong>Israel Defense Forces (IDF)<\/strong> will not retreat from current lines until Hamas is completely disarmed. Netanyahu clarified that &quot;disarming&quot; must encompass <strong>all types of heavy and light weapons<\/strong>, a significant escalation from previous phased proposals that linked heavy weapon handovers to gradual troop withdrawals.<\/p>\n<p>The Prime Minister\u2019s comments come as Israel has reportedly increased its territorial control in Gaza from <strong>53% to over 60%<\/strong> since the October 2025 ceasefire. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel remains prepared to act unilaterally, stating, &quot;We know how to stick to our position even in the face of our best friends when that is necessary.&quot; This rhetoric highlights a growing rift with the <strong>Board of Peace<\/strong>, a diplomatic body overseen by the <strong>Trump administration<\/strong>, which had recently presented a 15-point roadmap for the region.<\/p>\n<h2>Iran to Release Footage of &quot;Elusive&quot; Supreme Leader<\/h2>\n<p>In Tehran, the <strong>Basij Organization<\/strong> announced that footage of Supreme Leader <strong>Mojtaba Khamenei<\/strong> in public places and meeting with military commanders will be released shortly. The statement, attributed to Deputy Commander <strong>Qasem Qoraishi<\/strong>, follows months of speculation that the younger Khamenei was severely injured or disfigured in the <strong>February 28 strikes<\/strong> that killed his father, Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n<p>Since assuming office in <strong>March 2026<\/strong>, Mojtaba Khamenei has remained entirely out of the public eye, failing to attend his father&#39;s funeral or deliver traditional televised addresses. While a brief, undated 12-second clip of him in a religious study session was recently circulated by the <strong>Mehr News Agency<\/strong>, the upcoming release is expected to be more substantial. Analysts suggest the move is a strategic effort by the <strong>Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)<\/strong> to project stability amidst the ongoing conflict with U.S. and Israeli forces.<\/p>\n<h2>Diplomatic Standoff and Regional Implications<\/h2>\n<p>The dual developments underscore a period of intense regional volatility and diplomatic gridlock. In Israel, Netanyahu\u2019s refusal to accept the <strong>Board of Peace<\/strong> draft\u2014which Hamas reportedly accepted\u2014has stalled efforts to transition to a civilian-led <strong>National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG)<\/strong>. The Prime Minister\u2019s firm stance is widely viewed as a signal to both domestic voters and international allies that Israel will prioritize &quot;total victory&quot; over negotiated phased withdrawals.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, the potential &quot;re-emergence&quot; of Mojtaba Khamenei could signal a consolidation of power within the Iranian leadership. If the footage confirms he is fit to lead, it may embolden Iranian proxies across the &quot;Axis of Resistance.&quot; Conversely, any perceived weakness in the footage could further destabilize the regime, which is already grappling with the logistical and political fallout of the <strong>2026 Iran war<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Israel rejects the &quot;Board of Peace&quot; roadmap, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanding the full surrender of all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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