A proposed ceasefire in the Gaza war, presented by US President Joe Biden, has sparked debate within Israel's governing coalitio🔜n. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir have threatened to quit the government if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to the proposal. They insist that Hamas must be destroyed before a deal can be made.
Be🌠n Gvir said his party would “dissolve the government” if the deal went through and slammed the proposal as “a victory for ter🅘rorism and a security risk to the State of Israel”.
“Agreeing to such😼 a deal is not total victory – but total defeat,” he s♐aid.
🍬Smotrich said he would “not be part of a government that will agree to the proposed outli🥀ne”.
“We demand the continuation of the war until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages retuꦕrn,” Smotrich said on X,📖 adding that he opposes the return of displaced Gazans to the territory’s north and the “wholesale release of terrorists”.
But opposition leader Yair Lapid pledged to back the government if Neta🍸nyah🦄u supported the plan. However, earlier on June 1, Netanyahu also insisted that the destruction of Hamas was part of the Israeli plan laid out by Biden.
Mediators the U.S., Egypt and Qatar pressed Israel and Hamas, saying thಞe proposed deal “offers a road map for a permanent cea𒈔se-fire and ending the crisis” and gives immediate relief to both hostages and Gaza residents.
What Is The Ceasefire Proposal?
The proposal involves three phases:
Phase One:
- A six-week ceasefire
- Withdrawal of Israeli forceℱs from Gaza population centres
- Exchange of hosta⭕ges, including elderly and female detainees, for hun💯dreds of Palestinian prisoners
- Return of 🌠Palestinian civilians to Gaza, including northern Gaza
- Dai﷽ly delivery of 600 trucks carrying humanitaria♒n aid into Gaza
Phase Two:
- Negotiations between💟 Hamas and Israel to establish a permanent end to hostilities
- Continuation of ceasefire ♑throughout negotiations
Phase Three:
- Implementation oಌf a reconstruction plan for Gaza
- Return of remains o✤f captives🌟 who lost their lives to their families
Recap Of Israel’s War On Gaza:
On October 7, Haꦍmas attacked southern Israel, killing over 1ꦜ,100 people and taking more than 240 hostage.
In response, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 36,000 Palestinians, according to health officials. The war has reduc🃏ed much of the Palestinian territory to rubble and displaced the vast majority of residents.
In November, Israel and Hamas held talks, resulting in the releaseꦗ ꩵof around 100 hostages in exchange for Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
In recent weeks, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in⛎ Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians fled after being forced from their homes.
