Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Saturday that Israel would not agree to a ceasefire arrangement that obstructed its goal of dismantling Hamas, following U.S. President Joe Biden’s submission of an Israeli “proposal” that permitted Hamas’s persistence.
Israel has now offered a roadmap to an enduring ceasefire – and the release of all the hostages.
Yesterday, this proposal was transmitted by Qatar to Hamas.
Today, I want to lay out its terms for the world. pic.twitter.com/0cdypBP9wb
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 31, 2024
Biden also urged right-wing factions within the Israeli government to accept the proposal, while simultaneously commending the Israeli government for presenting it. Due to the observance of the Jewish Sabbath, none of these parties could immediately respond.
In the subsequent hours, Hamas embraced the deal, and European leaders expressed their approval, while Netanyahu issued a statement indicating differences from Israel’s actual proposals.
On Saturday, Netanyahu provided a further clarifying statement:
Israel’s conditions for ending the war remain unchanged: dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, liberating all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel. Under this proposal, Israel will continue to insist these conditions are met before a permanent ceasefire is established. The idea that Israel would agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are satisfied is not feasible.
Biden’s apparent purpose was to compel Israel into a deal it never proposed by asserting that Israel had offered it, with subsequent acceptance by Hamas and the global community, therefore increasing the cost for Israel to reject the proposal.
The strategy relies on Hamas agreeing to the deal, despite the deal’s terms being identical to previous proposals that Hamas has declined over the past several months. Hamas may agree this time due to Israeli military operations in Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold in southern Gaza. Recently, Israel has gained full control of the Gaza-Egypt border and destroyed many miles of subterranean tunnels laden with weapons.
