Biden’s Gaza plan ‘not a good deal’ but Israel accepts it

On Sunday, an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel had accepted a framework ceasefire deal presented by US President Joe Biden, but described it as flawed and needing much more work.

Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy adviser to Netanyahu, said Biden’s proposal was “a deal we agreed to – it’s not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them”.

“There are a lot of details to be worked out,” he said in an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times.

Falk added that Israeli conditions, including “the release of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas” have not changed.

On Friday, Biden detailed a three-phase plan submitted by the Netanyahu government to end the war on Gaza, which includes the release of captives by Hamas, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave, a permanent ceasefire and an exchange of prisoners.

Hamas has provisionally welcomed the Biden initiative, saying it “included positive ideas”.

Netanyahu meanwhile insisted on Hamas’s destruction and the return of the captives before a permanent ceasefire can be put in place.

Falk reiterated Netanyahu’s position that “there will not be a permanent ceasefire until all our objectives are met”.

Netanyahu is under pressure to keep his coalition government intact. 

While many Israelis are urging the prime minister to embrace the deal, his far-right allies, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, threaten topple his government if he does.

Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition holds a slim majority in parliament and depends on his far-right allies.

If the ultra-nationalist parties quit, it could expose Netanyahu to new elections, prosecution on longstanding corruption charges, and scrutiny over security failures that led to the war.

But on Saturday, opposition leader Yair Lapid, who accused Netanyahu last week of prioritising his political survival, was quick to support the prime minister if he adopted the new ceasefire proposal.

Lapid, whose party holds 24 seats in parliament, said on Saturday that Netanyahu could rely on his party’s votes to secure a deal.  

“The Israeli government cannot ignore” Biden, Lapid said. “There is a deal on the table, that needs to be done. I remind Netanyahu that he has a safety net from us for the hostage deal if Ben Gvir and Smotrich leave the government.”

A huge demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, led by families of the captives, called on Netanyahu to strike a ceasefire deal.