Tel Aviv: Israel’s Netanyahu government seems to be agreeing with US President Joe Biden’s ceasefire proposal in Gaza, in other words, there seems to be pressure on it to accept it. The Israeli government, which was disagreeing with Biden’s proposal a day before, changed its tune.
Plan made for ceasefire
Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, has said that Biden’s plan for Gaza is not good but Israel will accept it with some changes. Hamas has said that if Israel moves forward on Biden’s proposal, it is also ready to move forward and compromise. Biden has proposed a three-phase plan for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
According to this proposal, Hamas will hand over the bodies of 100 Israeli civilians and 30 hostages to Israel, in return Israel will release Palestinian prisoners from its jail. This process will be completed in a peaceful environment. Biden has appealed to Israel and Hamas to show flexibility and end the war and establish peace in Gaza. Egypt and Qatar, which have been mediating between the two sides for months, have supported Biden’s plan. The governments of both countries have requested Israel and Hamas to accept it.
Netanyahu government in trouble
Sensing the Israeli government’s cold attitude towards Biden’s plan for a permanent ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages, 1,20,000 protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Sunday. These protesters were demanding the removal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an agreement with Hamas for the release of hostages. They were also demanding the formation of a government by holding new elections in the country. The problem of the Netanyahu government is that the right-wing parties supporting it have threatened to separate from the government if there is a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. But the main opposition party led by Yair Lapid has announced its support to the government on the issue of releasing the hostages.
