Israel calls permanent cease-fire in Gaza a 'nonstarter,' undermining Biden proposal (2024)

TEL AVIV—

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday called a permanent cease-fire in Gaza a “nonstarter” until long-standing conditions for ending the war are met, appearing to undermine a proposal that President Biden had announced as an Israeli one.

The statement from Netanyahu’s office came a day after Biden outlined the plan, and as families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas called for all parties to immediately accept the proposal. A major demonstration Saturday night in Israel urged the government to act immediately.

Israelis in Tel Aviv protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday and call for the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

(Maya Alleruzzo / Associated Press)

A joint statement by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, which have been mediating the talks, pressed Israel and Hamas, saying the proposed deal “offers a road map for a permanent cease-fire and ending the crisis” and gives immediate relief to the hostages and to Gaza residents.

But Netanyahu’s statement said Israel’s “conditions for ending the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel. Under the proposal, Israel will continue to insist these conditions are met before a permanent cease-fire is put in place.”

In a separate statement, Netanyahu accepted an invitation from U.S. congressional leaders to deliver an address at the Capitol, a show of wartime support for Israel. No date has been set.

Biden on Friday asserted that Hamas is “no longer capable” of carrying out a large-scale attack on Israel like the one Oct. 7 that started the war. He urged Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement to release about 100 remaining hostages, along with the bodies of around 30, for an extended cease-fire in Gaza.

Cease-fire talks halted last month after a push by the U.S. and other mediators to secure a deal in hopes of averting a full-scale Israeli invasion of Gaza’s southern city of Rafah. Israel says the Rafah operation is key to uprooting Hamas fighters responsible for the deadly Oct. 7 attack.

Israel on Friday confirmed that its troops were operating in central parts of the city. The ground assault has led around 1 million Palestinians to leave Rafah and has thrown humanitarian operations into turmoil. The World Food Program has called living conditions in the city “horrific and apocalyptic” as hunger grows.

The body of a Palestinian child is carried to a funeral. The child was one of several people killed by Israeli bombardment Friday in Deir al Balah in Gaza.

(Abdel Kareem Hana / Associated Press)

Families of hostages said time was running out.

“This might be the last chance to save lives,” Gili Roman told the Associated Press. His sister, Yarden Roman-Gat, was taken hostage and freed during a weeklong cease-fire in November, but a sister-in-law, Carmel, remains held.

“There is no other way toward a better situation for all. Our leadership must not disappoint us,” Roman said. “But mostly, all eyes should be on Hamas.”

Israeli families described an aggressive meeting Thursday with the national security advisor, Tzachi Hanegbi, who told them the government wasn’t ready to sign a deal to bring all hostages home, and there was no Plan B.

Hanegbi said this week he expects the war to continue seven more months in order to destroy Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.

Many families of hostages accuse the government of a lack of will.

“We know that the government of Israel has done an awful lot to delay reaching a deal, and that has cost the lives of many people who survived in captivity for weeks and weeks and months and months,” Sharone Lifschitz said. Her mother, Yocheved, was freed in the November cease-fire, and her father, Oded, is still being held.

The first phase of the deal outlined by Biden would last for six weeks and include a “full and complete cease-fire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, seniors and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The second phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The third phase calls for the start of a major reconstruction of Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding from the war’s devastation.

Biden acknowledged that keeping the proposal on track would be difficult, with a number of “details to negotiate” to move from the first phase to the second. Biden said that if Hamas fails to fulfill its commitment under the deal, Israel can resume military operations.

Hamas has said it viewed the proposal “positively” and called on Israel to declare explicit commitment to an agreement that includes a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal of troops from Gaza, a prisoner exchange and other conditions.

In Deir al Balah, where many Palestinians have fled following Israel’s ground assault on Rafah, there was hope.

“This proposal came late, but better late than never,” said Akram Abu al Hasan. “Therefore, we hope from God, the American administration and the European community in general to continue to put pressure on Israel for a cease-fire.”

The main difference from previous proposals is the readiness to stop the war for an undefined period, according to analysts. The deal would leave Israel the option to renew the war and diminish Hamas’ ability to govern, but over time, according to Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum in Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University.

“It was a very good speech. ... It seems that Biden is trying to force it on the Israeli government,” said Gershon Baskin, director for the Middle East at the International Communities Organization. “He was clearly speaking directly to the Israeli people.”

Also on Saturday, Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News said that officials from Egypt, the U.S. and Israel would meet in Cairo over the weekend for talks about the Rafah crossing, which has been closed since Israel took over the Palestinian side in early May.

The crossing is one of the main ways for aid to enter Gaza. Egypt has refused to open its side, fearing the Israeli hold will remain permanent. Egypt has demanded that Palestinians be put in charge again. The White House has been pressing Egypt to resume the flow of trucks.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel killed around 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and 250 were abducted. More than 36,370 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israel’s campaign of bombardment and ground assaults, according to the local Health Ministry, whose count doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.

Associated Press writer Mednick reported from Tel Aviv. Shurafa reported from Deir al Balah. David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.