Ceasefire agreement in Gaza is accepted by Israel on US proposal

Israel accepted the general terms of an agreement proposed by United States President Joe Biden to stop the war in the Gaza Strip, an advisor to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu confirmed this Sunday. The agreement includes the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and an initial six-week truce.

Ophir Falk, Netanyahu’s foreign affairs advisor, told the newspaper The Sunday Times that, although the proposal was “not a good agreement”, it was accepted with the aim of freeing the hostages.

“Many details need to be worked out, and nothing has changed regarding Israeli demands that the hostages be released and that Hamas must be destroyed as a genocidal terrorist organization,” Falk said.

Biden’s proposal, announced last Friday, 31, details a three-phase plan that begins with a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas of Gaza. At the same time, 600 trucks of humanitarian aid per day will begin entering Gaza.

The second phase involves negotiations between Hamas and Israel for a permanent end to the war, with the ceasefire maintained during this period. The third phase will focus on the reconstruction plan for the Palestinian territory.

Following Biden’s announcement, Netanyahu’s office reiterated that the proposal allows Israel to continue the war until all of its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’ governmental and military capabilities.

The agreement was also presented to Hamas by Qatar, with the Palestinian faction reacting positively to the plan. However, challenges remain, as indicated by previous negotiations that failed to establish a lasting ceasefire.

This agreement comes in a context of intense internal pressure on the Netanyahu government, which faces opposition from extremist parties within its coalition, which threaten to leave the government if an agreement that spares Hamas is accepted.

With information from Folha