Netanyahu Aide Says Israel Accepts Biden's Gaza Cease-Fire Plan
Ophir Falk, the chief foreign policy advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed on Sunday that Israel had accepted a framework deal for a Gaza cease-fire proposed by US Pres. Joe Biden....
Facts
- Ophir Falk, the chief foreign policy advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, confirmed on Sunday that Israel had accepted a framework deal for a Gaza cease-fire proposed by US Pres. Joe Biden.1
- In an interview with the Sunday Times, he stressed that the 'deal [Israel] agreed to' was 'not a good deal but [Israel] dearly want[s] the hostages released, all of them.'2
- Insisting that there are still details to work out, Falk said that there will be no permanent cease-fire until all Israeli conditions are met, including the release of all the hostages held in Gaza and the destruction of Hamas.3
- This comes as Biden advanced on Friday a three-phase plan calling for a six-week truce and hostage-prisoner exchanges that would ultimately lead to a permanent cease-fire and a reconstruction plan for Gaza.4
- Though the US has described the plan as an Israeli proposal, Netanyahu said on Saturday that a permanent cease-fire was a 'nonstarter' until Hamas is destroyed, all Israeli hostages are freed and Gaza 'no longer poses a threat to Israel.'5
- Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have threatened to quit and collapse the coalition government if Netanyahu accepted any deal before Hamas is destroyed.6
Sources: 1Reuters, 2The Times, 3Timesofisrael, 4BBC News, 5NBC and 6Euronews.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Forward. A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, preserve Israel's security, and create a better 'day after' in Gaza without Hamas in power. If Hamas is ready to engage constructively, the Israeli government must stand behind the cease-fire plan. Biden is calling time on the war — Netanyahu must seize this moment and stop the fighting.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Guardian. The much-touted cease-fire plan lacks substance and is akin to the exact old wine in a new bottle — facing the same problems that its predecessors did. As the plan's origins remain unclear, it's most likely only the Biden administration signaling to Israel that America wants to bring the conflict to an end at a time when its lack of influence in the Middle East is crystal clear.
