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An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel had accepted a framework deal for winding down the Gaza war now being advanced by U.S. President Joe Biden, though he described it as flawed and in need of much more work. In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy advisor to Netanyahu, said Biden’s proposal was ‘a deal we agreed to — it’s not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them’. There are a lot of details to be worked out, including Israeli conditions such as the release of hostages and the destruction of Hamas as a terrorist organization. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Benny Gantz, in separate phone calls with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, emphasized Israel’s readiness to conclude the deal. Hamas has provisionally welcomed the Biden initiative, but insists on a guaranteed end to the Gaza offensive and other demands. The Israeli assault on Gaza has led to a high number of casualties on both sides, with a need for a sustainable solution. The Biden proposal aims to create a better future in Gaza without Hamas in power, although challenges remain in negotiating the details of the plan.
