Gaza war: Two Israeli ministers threaten to resign if Netanyahu accepts Biden’s plan to end conflict
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- Author, Jaroslav Lukiw and Adam Durbin
- Role, BBC News
Two far-right Israeli ministers threatened to resign and topple Israel’s coalition government if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepts a Gaza ceasefire proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden on Friday.
“It’s time to end this war,” Biden said in announcing his three-part plan, which would begin with a six-week ceasefire.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said this They were opposed to reaching any agreement before Hamas was destroyed.
But the leader of Opposition, Yair Lapid pledges support If Netanyahu supports the plan then the government.
The Prime Minister himself stressed that there would be no permanent ceasefire until Hamas’s military and governance capabilities were destroyed and all hostages were freed.
In which Biden’s proposal would begin with a ceasefire The Israeli army will withdraw from the populated areas of Gaza. The agreement would eventually lead to the release of all hostages, a permanent “cessation of hostilities”, and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza.
But in a social media post on Saturday, Smotrich claimed he had told Netanyahu “I will not be part of a government that accepts this plan Proposed ending the war without destroying Hamas and repatriating all hostages.
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Echoing his words, Ben-Gvir said that “the plan means an end to the war and the abandonment of the goal of destroying Hamas. It is a reckless compromise, which This is a victory for terrorism and a threat to the security of the State of Israeland promised to “dissolve the government” before the offer was accepted.
Parliamentary Arch in Israel
Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition has a razor-thin majority in parliament, relying on several factions to retain power, including Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, which has six seats, and Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, which has seven.
But Yair Lapid, one of Israel’s most influential opposition politicians, immediately offered his support to the embattled prime minister. His party Yesh Atid (There Is a Future) has 24 seats.,
Netanyahu has “our support for a deal that includes the return of the hostages” If Ben-Gvir and Smotrich leave the government”.
The controversy occurred when thousands of people demonstrated in Tel Aviv calling on the Israeli government to accept the plan proposed by Biden.
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Many protesters also demanded Netanyahu’s resignation, with some telling reporters they feared the prime minister could torpedo the proposal.
A group campaigning to bring home Israeli hostages held by Hamas warned the deal would put the captives’ lives at risk.
During the protest there were clashes between attendees and the police. They used mounted officers and water cannon to disperse the crowd. According to various reports, some protesters were arrested.
Protests have been frequent in Tel Aviv in recent months.
The families of the hostages and other anti-government activists have taken to the streets several times to demand their a mortgage agreementHe also asked Netanyahu to resign or call for elections.
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In a joint statement on Saturday, mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States urged both Israel and Hamas to “polish” Biden’s proposed deal.
“As a mediator in ongoing meetings to ensure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages,” the officials said. He called on “both Hamas and Israel to work toward a settlement This includes the principles outlined by President Joe Biden.”
as well as the UK
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also voiced his support for the plan, telling reporters that his government could “provide more support to Gaza” if Hamas accepted the ceasefire plan.
Earlier, a senior Hamas politician told the BBC he would “accept the deal” if Israel did so.
In a statement after Biden unveiled the plan, Netanyahu’s office insisted that Israel’s “conditions for ending the war have not changed.”
And he recalled that they were “the destruction of Hamas’ military and government capabilities, the release of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”
The statement said that Israel “will continue to insist that these conditions be met before a permanent ceasefire can be agreed”.
However, the comments seemed quite vague Netanyahu can claim that his objectives have been achieved.
Netanyahu’s office made no mention of “complete victory,” which he has repeatedly highlighted as a key goal for the war in Gaza.
The omission could allow the prime minister to brush off criticism that the deal offers major concessions to Hamas.
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On Sunday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog commented on social media that he would give Netanyahu’s government “his full support for an agreement that will lead to the release of the hostages.”
“It’s our responsibility to bring them home.” outline of a settlement that preserves the security interests of the State of Israel“, Said.
Fighting continues in Rafah
Meanwhile, fighting continued in Rafah on Saturday, with reports of Israeli air strikes on the southern Gaza city on the Egyptian border.
I also know Shelling and firing were reported in Gaza CityNorth of the Palestinian territories.
More than 36,000 people have died in Gaza since the start of the conflict, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 252 people who were taken to Gaza as hostages.
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