To overthrow his government Benjamin Netanyahu two far-right ministers in Israel are threatening to blackmail the country’s prime minister into resigning if Joe Biden’s plan for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip is accepted.

The finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and the Minister of National Security Hamar Ben Gvir they made their position clear that they do not accept the draft agreement with Hamas and that they are prepared to even overthrow the Netanyahu government if the latter gives in to US pressure and accepts Biden’s offer.

On the other hand, the leader of the opposition in Israel, Yair Lapid, said that he would support the government’s decision if he accepted the peace plan of Washington.

Benjamin Netanyahu himself, knowing the pressure of the extreme right wing that supports his government, has declared that there will be no ceasefire before the total annihilation of Hamas in Gaza.

Adviser to Netanyahu: It is not a good deal, but we have accepted it

However, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirms in an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper that Israel has accepted the agreement – a framework for the gradual easing of the war in Gaza presented by US President Joe Biden, however clarifying that the plan has problems and still needs a lot of work.

Ofir Falk, Netanyahu’s top foreign policy adviser, said the US president’s proposal was “a deal that we approved – it’s not a good deal, but we really want the hostages back. All of them”.

“There are many details that need to be worked out,” he said, adding that Israeli terms, including “the release of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas as a genocidal terrorist organization, have not changed.”

What does “acceptance” of the plan mean in practice?

Joe Biden on Friday presented a three-phase plan submitted by the Netanyahu administration to end the war.

The first phase involves an armistice and the return of some hostages. Afterwards, the sides will negotiate an open cessation of hostilities for the second phase during which the remaining hostages will be released, the US president said.

This sequence suggests that Hamas will continue to play a role in the negotiations – but this runs counter to Israel’s stated goal of eliminating Hamas.

Hamas, which shows no signs of backing down, says it will release hostages only as part of a permanent end to the war.

In his speech, Biden said the latest proposal sets the stage for better days for Gaza without Hamas in power. He did not elaborate on how this would be achieved and admitted that “there are enough details to negotiate to move from phase one to phase two”.

Falk reiterated Netanyahu’s position that “there will be no permanent truce until all of Israel’s goals are met.”

Netanyahu is under extreme pressure. His two far-right government partners are threatening to quit the government in protest at any deal that leaves Hamas intact. However, his centrist ally and war council member Benny Gantz wants the deal reviewed.

Hamas’ attitudes towards the plan are positive

“Biden’s speech included positive ideas, but we want them to be implemented within the framework of a comprehensive agreement that meets our demands,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera yesterday.

Hamas is demanding a guaranteed end to the Israeli assault on Gaza, the withdrawal of all invading forces, freedom of movement for Palestinians and aid to rebuild the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli officials have rejected all such terms because they mean a return to the pre-October 7 status quo.