JERUSALEM – An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel has accepted a framework deal proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden to wind down the Gaza war, although he described the plan as inadequate and requiring substantial revisions.
In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy advisor to Netanyahu, said, “Biden’s proposal was a deal we agreed to — it’s not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them.” He emphasized that many details still need to be finalized, including the conditions for the release of hostages and the elimination of Hamas as a “genocidal terrorist organization.”
Biden outlined a three-phase plan developed by the Netanyahu government, starting with a truce and the return of some hostages held by Hamas. The second phase would involve negotiations for an open-ended cessation of hostilities, with remaining captives being freed. This sequence suggests that Hamas would continue to be part of mediated arrangements by Egypt and Qatar, potentially clashing with Israel’s goal to eradicate the Iranian-backed Islamist group.
Biden has supported several ceasefire proposals over the past months, all of which have collapsed. In February, he claimed that Israel agreed to halt fighting by Ramadan, starting March 10, but no truce materialized. Israel has maintained that it will only consider temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas is completely destroyed. Conversely, Hamas insists on a path to a permanent end to the war in exchange for releasing hostages.
Biden stated that his latest proposal aims to create a better future in Gaza without Hamas in power, though he admitted that many details need to be negotiated. Falk reiterated Netanyahu’s stance that a permanent ceasefire would not occur until all objectives are met.
Netanyahu faces internal pressure to maintain his coalition government. Two far-right partners have threatened to leave the coalition if any deal is perceived to spare Hamas. Meanwhile, centrist partner and ex-general Benny Gantz supports considering the deal.
Hamas has provisionally welcomed Biden’s initiative. “Biden’s speech included positive ideas, but we want this to materialize within the framework of a comprehensive agreement that meets our demands,” senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera. Hamas demands a guaranteed end to the Gaza offensive, withdrawal of all invading forces, free movement for Palestinians, and reconstruction aid.
Israeli officials have rejected these demands, arguing that they would effectively revert to the situation before October 7, when Hamas launched an attack that killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. The subsequent Israeli assault on Gaza has resulted in over 36,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza medical officials, while Israel reports 290 of its troops have died in the fighting
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