An aide to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel had accepted a tentative framework deal for de-escalating the Gaza war, which is currently being spearheaded by US President Joe Biden. However, the aide described the proposal as flawed and requiring considerable further negotiation.
In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Ophir Falk, the chief foreign policy advisor to Netanyahu, acknowledged that Israel agreed to Biden’s plan, stating, “It’s not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them.” Falk emphasized the complexity still surrounding the deal’s details, noting that Israeli preconditions remain unwavering, particularly “the release of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas as a genocidal terrorist organization.”
Biden, who initially expressed strong support for Israel’s offensive but has since condemned the high civilian death toll, laid out a three-phase plan on Friday that he said was submitted by Netanyahu’s government to bring the war to an end. According to Biden, the first phase involves a truce and the return of some hostages held by Hamas. This would be followed by negotiations for an open-ended ceasefire in the second phase, during which the remaining hostages would be freed.
This sequence seems to suggest that Hamas would continue to have a role in each incremental arrangement mediated by Egypt and Qatar, which could pose a significant conflict with Israel’s aim to dismantle the Iranian-backed Islamist group. Over the past few months, Biden has endorsed several similar ceasefire proposals, each with analogous frameworks to the one he outlined on Friday. However, all have failed to materialize. In February, Biden noted that Israel had agreed to halt fighting by Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that started on March 10, but no such truce came to pass.
A primary issue has been Israel’s insistence on only temporary pauses to the fighting until Hamas is eliminated. In contrast, Hamas, which remains resolute, has stated it will release hostages only under a path leading to a permanent end to the conflict.
Biden’s plan aims at creating a “better ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power,” though specific details on how this would be realized were not provided. Biden admitted that “there are a number of details to negotiate to move from phase one to phase two.
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Falk reaffirmed Netanyahu’s stance, asserting that “there will not be a permanent ceasefire until all our objectives are met.” Netanyahu faces internal political pressure to maintain his coalition government. His administration comprises far-right partners who have threatened to withdraw support over any deal perceived as sparing Hamas. Meanwhile, a centrist partner, former General Benny Gantz, has advocated for considering the deal.
Hamas has tentatively welcomed Biden’s initiative. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri commented on Sunday that “Hamas is too big to be bypassed or sidelined by Netanyahu or Biden.” Osama Hamdan, another Hamas official, remarked a day earlier on Al Jazeera, “Biden’s speech included positive ideas, but we want this to materialize within the framework of a comprehensive agreement that meets our demands.”
Hamas’s demands include a guaranteed end to the Gaza offensive, a withdrawal of all invading forces, free movement for Palestinians, and reconstruction aid. Israeli officials have rejected these demands, viewing them as a return to conditions before October 7, when Hamas, dedicated to Israel’s destruction, controlled Gaza. Hamas militants instigated the ongoing conflict by breaching the border fence into Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capturing of more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources.
In the Israeli military’s subsequent offensive, which has devastated vast areas of the besieged coastal enclave, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza medical officials. Israel reports that 290 of its soldiers have perished in the conflict.
The road to achieving a lasting ceasefire remains fraught with complexities and deeply rooted grievances. While Biden’s proposal marks a step towards peace, the conflicting objectives of Israel and Hamas underscore the difficulties ahead in crafting a durable and comprehensive solution to the Gaza war.
