Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior advisor confirmed on Sunday that Israel has agreed to the framework proposed by US President Biden for releasing hostages, despite still needing to work on many aspects of the deal.
Netanyahu’s chief foreign policy advisor, Ophir Falk, stated in an interview with the UK’s Sunday Times that Israel did not reject the agreement. He emphasized that it is a deal they agreed to, even though it may not be ideal, with the ultimate goal of seeing all hostages released.
“There are still many details to work out, including achieving a permanent ceasefire before all our objectives are met.”
Led by the families of hostages still detained in Gaza, thousands of Israeli protesters gathered in various cities across the country to show their support for the agreement.
Falk reiterated that Israel’s conditions remain the same – “the release of hostages and the dismantling of Hamas, a genocidal terrorist organization.”
President Biden announced on Friday the Netanyahu government’s plan to end the conflict in three phases. The first phase involves a six-week ceasefire, with Hamas releasing women, children, elderly, and injured hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Additionally, during the first phase, Israeli troops will withdraw from densely populated areas in Gaza, and humanitarian aid will increase significantly.
In the subsequent phase, Israel and Hamas will negotiate the conditions for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all remaining hostages. The final stage includes a plan for Gaza’s reconstruction.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing immense pressure to secure the release of hostages.
Benny Gantz, a member of the wartime cabinet, stated that if Netanyahu does not devise a plan to end the conflict by the end of next weekend, he will withdraw his support for the Prime Minister. Gantz’s party is pushing for early elections. He stressed on Saturday that repatriating hostages is of “utmost moral importance and a top priority on the war objectives timeline.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid stated that his party would support the government if reaching a hostage agreement is necessary.
“The Israeli government cannot ignore President Biden’s significant address,” he added. “The agreement is on the table and should be reached.”
Biden has been advocating for several ceasefire proposals in the past few months, none of which have succeeded. The outcome of this latest proposal is eagerly awaited.
Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera on Saturday, “Biden’s speech contains positive ideas, but we hope these ideas can be realized within a comprehensive agreement framework that meets our demands.”