By Tim Lister, Eugenia Yosef and Ibrahim Dahman(CNN) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said his country rejects the latest US-backed peace plan for Gaza, demanding the full disarmament of Hamas before any Israeli forces withdraw. After Trump’s announcement on July 31 there was a brief surge in Israeli strikes on Gaza, but these have declined over the last few days. After the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, Netanyahu vowed Israel would eradicate the group. Israeli forces currently occupy more than half of Gaza, in the east and south of the territory and senior ministers have signaled they want to expand control. “The (Israel Defense Forces) cannot retreat one millimeter in the Gaza Strip,” said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.