Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the US-backed peace plan for Gaza and stated that Israel will not withdraw its forces until the Palestinian group Hamas fully disarms.

"Israel rejects the 15-point document," Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, referring to a plan endorsed last month by Hamas.

"The Israeli army will not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is genuinely disarmed and will continue to thwart threats against our forces and our citizens," he added.

Israel has continued to carry out near-daily deadly attacks across the Gaza Strip since agreeing to a "ceasefire" with Hamas last October.

Last week, the US-led Board of Peace said an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza would only take place after the disarmament of Hamas is complete, following a meeting between the body's director, Nickolay Mladenov, and Netanyahu.

Source: www.aljazeera.com