Experts believe that US President Joe Biden, by announcing a ceasefire proposal last Friday, May 31, 2024, said that it was an Israeli proposal, putting the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in an embarrassing position, especially since Netanyahu has refused since the beginning of the war to provide a timetable for ending the war. The war on Gaza, a position that his critics consider a political tactic in order to maintain his position.

According to what the New York Times reported on Monday, “Netanyahu, a right-leaning conservative, has always succeeded in reconciling competing personal, political, and national interests. It now appears that he faces a stark choice between the survival of his hard-line, hawkish government and the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, while "He puts himself and Israel on a new path away from growing international isolation."

According to the newspaper, Netanyahu's critics portray him as indecisive and say that there are two Netanyahus, and that one of them works practically in the small war government that he formed with some centrist rivals, to give it public legitimacy. The other is effectively a hostage of the far-right members of his ruling coalition, who oppose any concession to Hamas and who guarantee his political survival.

It is noteworthy that the official spokesman for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, said in his response to the question of the Al-Quds.com correspondent regarding the fluctuation of Netanyahu’s positions according to which ministry he leads (the Ministry of War or the broader ministry). He acknowledged the embarrassment of the moment facing Netanyahu, and said: “In In the end, this is an Israeli proposal, and it is also a proposal that matches the one that Hamas agreed to (on May 6).”

Miller added: “This proposal is for Hamas to agree to; Hamas is the decision maker now on whether it can move forward or not. Now, having said that, we have made it very clear that we will continue to speak to the Israeli public, and speak to the Israeli government.” That this deal is in their interest and why, we should get a deal now, moving from phase one to phase two, that it is in their interest, and why further integration with their neighbors would be in their interest. But let me be clear: the obstacle is now ahead The ceasefire is not Israel; the obstacle to the ceasefire is Hamas.”

US President Biden set the general conditions that he said Israel had presented to the American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators who were pressing to reach an agreement to stop the fighting and release the hostages in Gaza. Israeli officials confirmed that the terms were consistent with the ceasefire proposal that had been approved by the Israeli war cabinet but had not yet been presented to the Israeli public.

Analysts say that now is a difficult time for Netanyahu, especially since Biden announced a possible ceasefire deal, hinting that this is Netanyahu’s proposal, thus raising a question mark as to whether the Israeli Prime Minister will adhere to what he presented.

The leaders of two far-right parties in the coalition - Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's Finance Minister, and Itamar Ben Gvir, National Security Minister - have pledged to topple Netanyahu's government if the prime minister agrees to the deal announced by Biden.

At the same time, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, two former military commanders who joined the emergency war government since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza, threatened to withdraw support for the centrist National Unity Party by June 8 if Netanyahu fails to present a clear vision of his plans in the war on Gaza “and the way forward.” Clear ahead,” they say.

The ceasefire proposal includes three stages. Under the plan, groups of Israeli detainees would be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, a temporary ceasefire would be transformed into a permanent cessation of hostilities, and an internationally-backed effort would be launched to rebuild Gaza.

More than 100 hostages were released under a limited deal in the last week of November 2023. An estimated 125 people remain detained by Hamas and other Palestinian resistance factions in Gaza, although dozens are believed to have died.