Following US President Joe Biden’s new Israeli proposal to end the conflict in Gaza, saying that “it’s time for this war to end,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have threatened to quit and dissolve its governing coalition if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to the ceasefire proposal.
The three-part proposal, which is set to begin with a six-week ceasefire, require that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) withdraw from Gaza’s populated areas and hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners.
According to Biden, the deal will eventually lead to a permanent “cessation of hostilities” and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza.
Following the proposal announcement at the White House on Friday, Hamas said it viewed the proposal “positively“.
Reacting to the proposal which will also allow more humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinians with “600 trucks carrying aid into Gaza every single day”, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said, “Hamas must accept this deal so we can see a stop in the fighting”.
“We’ve long argued a stop in the fighting can be turned into a permanent peace if we are all prepared to take the right steps,” Cameron added. “Let’s seize this moment and bring this conflict to an end.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also commented on the deal, stating: “I welcome President Biden’s initiative and encourage all parties to seize this opportunity for a ceasefire, release of all hostages, guaranteed unhindered humanitarian access, and ultimately a durable peace in the Middle East.”
However, Smotrich declared in a post on social media on Saturday that he told Netanyahu he would “not be part of a government that agrees to the proposed outline and ends the war without destroying Hamas and bringing back all the hostages”.Likewise, Ben-Gvir said that the deal meant “the end of the war and the abandonment of the goal to destroy Hamas. This is a reckless deal, which constitutes a victory for terrorism and a security threat to the State of Israel”.
He vowed to “dissolve the government” rather than agree to the proposal. Note that Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party holds six seats and Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party holds seven seats to maintain power.
Nonetheless, Yair Lapid, one of Israel’s most influential opposition politicians, whose Yesh Atid (There is a future) party holds 24 seats, offered his backing of Netanyahu, stating that the prime minister had their “safety net for a hostage deal if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich leave the government.”
Some groups have also called for Netanyahu’s resignation, fearing he may override the proposal.
However, Netanyahu is yet to make a decision as mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US urge both Israel and Hamas to “finalize” Biden’s proposed deal.
Since the war began in October 7, more than 36,000 have been killed across Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
