Netanyahu Criticizes Biden’s Gaza Truce Plan as Partial

Netanyahu Sees Biden’s Gaza Truce Plan as “Partial”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the truce plan proposed by US President Joe Biden as “partial”. This announcement was made by a government spokesman on Monday, emphasizing that the outlined plan does not fully align with Israel’s objectives.

Gaza Conflict Overview

The Gaza conflict, which began following an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7, has led to significant casualties and hostilities. Netanyahu’s remarks came after Biden presented a three-phase plan aimed at ending the fighting, releasing hostages, and reconstructing Gaza without Hamas’s involvement.

“The outline that President Biden presented is partial,” government spokesman David Mencer quoted Netanyahu as saying. He further explained that the war would pause only to secure the hostages’ return, after which further discussions would focus on eliminating Hamas.

Netanyahu reinforced this stance in a separate statement, clarifying that claims of agreeing to a ceasefire without meeting Israel’s conditions were incorrect.

Internal Political Reactions

Netanyahu’s coalition partners have voiced strong opposition to Biden’s proposal. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich criticized the plan on Monday. Ben Gvir warned that the proposal would end the war without achieving the cabinet’s goal of destroying Hamas. He threatened that his party would break up the government if Netanyahu signed what he termed an irresponsible deal.

Smotrich echoed these sentiments, stating that if the government adopted this proposal of surrender, they would seek to replace the current leadership.

Opposition Stance

Opposition leader Yair Lapid, a centrist and former premier, acknowledged Biden’s important speech. He committed to supporting Netanyahu if the far-right coalition partners exited the government.

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Casualties and Hostage Situation

The October 7 attack by Hamas led to the deaths of 1,190 people, primarily civilians, and resulted in the taking of approximately 250 hostages. According to Israeli army figures, 120 hostages remain in Gaza, including 37 who are presumed dead.

On the Palestinian side, Israeli bombardments and ground offensives have resulted in at least 36,479 Palestinian deaths, mostly civilians, since the conflict began.

Mediation Efforts and Regional Tensions

Efforts mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar have faced setbacks since a one-week truce in November. During this truce, dozens of hostages were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza increased.

Lebanese Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, has been involved in regular cross-border exchanges with Israel since the start of the Gaza conflict. On Monday, Smotrich suggested that the Israeli military should invade Lebanon and push hundreds of thousands of Lebanese away from the border. He proposed establishing a “security strip” in southern Lebanon, similar to the one Israel maintained before withdrawing troops in 2000.

This proposal includes launching a ground invasion, occupying the territory, and pushing Hezbollah terrorists and the Lebanese population away from the border.

The conflict in Gaza continues to draw international attention, with various stakeholders seeking a resolution that addresses the complex humanitarian and political challenges in the region.