JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu views a plan outlined by United States President Joe Biden for a truce in the besieged Gaza Strip and hostage release deal as “partial”, a government spokesman said on Monday.
The statement, delivered by government spokesman David Mencer on Monday, underscores Netanyahu’s stance on the ongoing conflict and the conditions necessary for a ceasefire.
President Biden had outlined a three-phase plan on Friday, which aimed to end the hostilities, secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and facilitate the reconstruction of Gaza. However, Netanyahu views the plan as incomplete.
“The outline that President Biden presented is partial,” Mencer quoted Netanyahu as saying during a press briefing. Netanyahu also dismissed claims that Israel had agreed to a ceasefire without its conditions being met, as stated in a separate statement issued by his office.
Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, voiced strong opposition to Biden’s proposal. Ben Gvir criticized the plan, arguing that it would signify the end of the war without achieving Israel’s objective of dismantling Hamas.
Similarly, Smotrich condemned the proposal, declaring that his party would not support any agreement that amounted to surrender.
Since October 7 last year, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 36,479 Palestinians, mostly women and children, the territory’s health ministry stated.
