JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has essentially rejected the conditions set forth by President Joe Biden Friday with the latest U.S. plan to end the war with Hamas in Gaza.

In a statement Saturday night, the Israeli leader declared, “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas’s 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 ceasefire is put in place. The notion that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter.”

In Biden’s Friday speech, delivered just before the Jewish Sabbath in Israel, Biden laid out a phased plan to end the war.

“During the six weeks of phase one, Israel and Hamas would negotiate the necessary arrangements to get to phase two, which is a permanent end to hostilities,” he announced.

The last stage would be for what the president called “the day after the war.”

“Finally, in phase three, a major reconstruction plan for Gaza would commence, and any final remains of hostages who have been killed would be returned to their families,” Biden said.

Hamas, in turn, issued a statement sounding supportive of the offer, saying, “Hamas confirms its readiness to deal positively and in a constructive manner with any proposal that is based on the permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal (of Israeli forces) from the Gaza Strip.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman criticized the Biden proposal, posting on X, “So Biden announces his support for a deal that he says Israel presented to him. He fills the hostage families with hope, and he gets Hamas onboard. Only one problem – Israel never made this offer! The so-called ‘deal’ was the Hamas proposal from four months ago – Israel leaves Gaza, Hamas stays in de facto control, and then the hostages are released. This is maddening.”

Some Israelis feel Biden’s proposal would mean Israel loses two of its main goals for the war: to defeat Hamas and remove it from power. That, they say, represents an existential danger to Israel.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, an essential part of Netanyahu’s coalition, threatened to collapse the government if the prime minister accepted the deal.

Ben-Gvir warned, “A deal, as its details were published, means giving up on destroying Hamas, renouncing the continuation of the war. It is a reckless deal. There is no total victory, but a total defeat to Hamas. I say that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to lead this deal, we will dismantle the government.”

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich argued the Biden plan would represent a “total defeat” for Israel and predicted it would produce a dramatic surge in terrorism.

In the meantime, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant directed a situational assessment of Israel’s Southern Command Sunday and said Israeli forces are “destroying the oxygen tube connecting the Gaza Strip with Egypt.” 

Gallant added that “the defense establishment is preparing an alternative to Hamas leadership, as we will cut off areas, remove Hamas men from them, and bring in other forces that will allow for another leadership that threatens Hamas.”

He continued, “The security establishment, following my instruction, is preparing the ruling alternative to Hamas, when we isolate areas, we will remove the Hamas people from them and introduce other forces into them that will enable another government that will also threaten Hamas.”

Parents whose sons and daughters have died fighting Hamas sent a letter to Netanyahu urging him not to stop the war until Israel gains victory over Hamas.

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