Assistant to the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with the British Sunday Times that Israel had agreed to the framework for by President Joe Biden plan to end the war in Gazaalthough he said it was “not a good deal.”
A deal has yet to be finalized and Israel’s official position remains unclear. NBC News has contacted the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for clarification.
Biden announced Friday that Israel has proposed a three-part plan that would eventually lead to a complete ceasefire in Gazaas Release all hostages who have been detained there for the past eight months. “It is time for this war to end,” Biden said.
On Saturday, Netanyahu appeared to sabotage the plan, issuing a statement calling a permanent ceasefire in Gaza a “non-starter” until long-term conditions for its conclusion are met. war met, reiterating that “Israel’s conditions for ending the war remain unchanged: destroy Hamas’s military and administrative capabilities, release all hostages, and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat.” threat to Israel.”
In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper, Ophir Falk, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s chief foreign policy adviser, emphasized that Israel did not reject the deal, saying it was “an agreement that we agreed – it wasn’t a good deal but we really wanted the hostages released.” All of them.”
He added that Israel’s conditions “have not changed” – the release of hostages and the destruction of Hamas.
Biden’s plan envisions an end to the war, not with the destruction of Hamas as Israel seeks, but with a degraded Hamas “no longer capable” of carrying out a large-scale attack on Israel like the attack by this militant group on October 7.
“Indefinite war in pursuit of an undefined notion of total victory will only keep Israel bogged down in Gaza,” Biden said.
Far-right factions within Netanyahu’s cabinet reacted strongly to Biden’s proposal, exposing the competing domestic pressures Netanyahu faces.
said Bezalel Smotrich, finance minister and chairman of the far-right Jewish Religious Party on X that he would “not join a government that agrees to the proposed outline and ends the war without destroying Hamas.”
Itamar Ben Gvir, national security minister and leader of the far-right Jewish Power Party, called the proposal a “victory for terrorism,” saying agreeing to the deal would be “an absolute failure.” ” and threatened on X “dissolve the government” if Netanyahu agrees to this proposal.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called the threats from Ben Gvir and Smotrich “neglect of national security, hostages and residents of the north and south.” Lapid had previously pledged to support Netyanahu if he accepted the deal with his far-right coalition partners.
“There is a deal on the table and it needs to be done,” Lapid said. I reminded Netanyahu that he has a security net from us to secure the hostage agreement if Ben Gvir and Smotrich leave the government.” on X.
For its part, “Netanyahu cannot be enthusiastic about a plan that fails to achieve ‘absolute victory,'” said Laura Blumenfeld, a Middle East analyst at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. . “It’s okay, as long as he avoids one word: ‘No.'”
Meanwhile, international pressure continues to mount behind the US as Spain, France, Germany and Belgium all support the deal. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday called Arab leaders to affirm their commitment to the ceasefire. Qatar, Egypt and the US issued a joint statement supporting the peace plan.
A spokesman for Hamas issued a statement shortly after the announcement, saying the group “has a positive view on what was contained in US President Joe Biden’s speech.”
The first phase of the plan includes a six-week complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas and the release of women and children held hostage. The second phase would see the release of all living hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israel, before a major reconstruction in Gaza and the return of the remains of captured hostages. death for their family in the final stages.
Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to call on the government to accept a ceasefire. In response to Biden’s statement, the Hostage Families Forum, an Israeli organization that supports the release of hostages captured in the October 7 Hamas attack, called on members of the Israeli parliament to accept the agreement. This is favorable.
“The forum demands the return of all hostages, some for rehabilitation and others for burial, and not to miss the opportunity to bring them home.”
