TEL AVIV: An aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel had accepted a framework deal for winding down the Gaza conflict now being advanced by US President Joe Biden. However, the aide, Ophir Falk, described the deal as flawed and in need of significant revisions.
In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Falk, Netanyahu’s chief foreign policy advisor, characterized Biden’s proposal as “a deal we agreed to — it is not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them.”
Falk emphasized that there are several details to be worked out, and Israeli conditions, including the release of hostages and the dismantling of Hamas, remain unchanged.
President Biden unveiled the three-phase plan submitted by the Netanyahu government to end the conflict in Gaza. The first phase involves a truce and the release of some hostages, followed by negotiations for a permanent cessation of hostilities in the second phase. However, this sequencing raises concerns for Israel, particularly regarding the role of Hamas in incremental arrangements mediated by Egypt and Qatar.
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Despite previous ceasefire proposals collapsing, Biden remains hopeful about the potential success of the current initiative. However, the primary obstacle remains Israel’s insistence on discussing only temporary pauses to fighting until Hamas is eradicated, while the Palestinian group insists on a path to a permanent ceasefire.
In his speech outlining the proposal, Biden emphasized the need for a Gaza without Hamas in power but acknowledged the need for negotiations to move from phase one to phase two.
Falk reiterated Netanyahu’s stance that there will not be a permanent ceasefire until all Israeli objectives are met.
Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing more than 36,400 Palestinians, mostly women and children, Gaza medical officials say.
