Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no permanent ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas’s military and governing capabilities are destroyed and all hostages are released. His statement comes after US President Joe Biden announced Israel had proposed a three-stage plan to Hamas aimed at reaching a permanent ceasefire. A senior Hamas politician told the BBC it “will go for this deal” if Israel does.
Negotiations are ongoing as fighting continues in Rafah, with reports of Israeli air strikes in the city on Egypt’s border with Gaza. Public pressure from Mr. Biden on both Israel and Hamas to accept the plan does not guarantee a deal. On Saturday, Mr. Netanyahu’s office reiterated Israel’s “conditions for ending the war,” which include “the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.” The statement emphasized that Israel would not agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are met.
On Friday, Mr. Biden described the plan as a comprehensive Israeli proposal for a permanent ceasefire. The first phase involves a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas, and the exchange of some hostages for Palestinian prisoners. The second phase involves the return of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers. The final phase includes the return of any deceased Israeli hostages’ remains and a “major reconstruction plan” with US and international assistance to rebuild homes, schools, and hospitals.
Following Mr. Netanyahu’s restatement of his aims for the war, a Hamas spokesman said the organization would back the plan if Israel did. Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, stated that the next step depended on Israel.
Mr. Biden’s proposal provides an opportunity for both Israel and Hamas to claim their demands have been met. For Hamas, it offers a pathway to a permanent ceasefire, which has been a key demand. However, this will face opposition in Israel, particularly from far-right members of Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition, who may threaten to quit, potentially leading to the collapse of his government.
Opposition politician Yair Lapid has promised to support Mr. Netanyahu if he backs the ceasefire deal. In a social media post, Mr. Lapid assured the Israeli PM of a “safety net for a hostage deal” if far-right allies leave the government.
Israel has intensified attacks in Rafah recently, claiming control over the entire border with Egypt. US, Israeli, and Egyptian officials are scheduled to meet in Cairo to discuss reopening the Rafah crossing, according to Egyptian media reports. Aid flows into Gaza have been restricted since the border closure in early May.
More than 36,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the conflict began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The war started in October when Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 252 back to Gaza as hostages.