Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced immense pressure from all sides Sunday as the Biden administration pressed him to accept a cease-fire deal that would wind down the war in the Gaza Strip — but some of Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right allies threatened to “dismantle the government” if the Israeli leader agrees to the proposal.

For Mr. Netanyahu, it is another example of the difficult political position he has found himself in as the war against Hamas in Gaza drags on, and as the international backlash grows louder each day amid allegations that Israel’s military campaign has led to near-unprecedented civilian suffering for the Palestinians in Gaza.

President Biden on Friday declared that “it’s time for this war to end” as he put forward a multi-step peace proposal that would halt the fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of some of the Israeli prisoners still held by Hamas.

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The Palestinian terrorist group took those prisoners on Oct. 7 during its rampage through southern Israel, which also killed more than 1,200 Israelis.

In its reaction to Mr. Biden’s proposal, the Netanyahu government has sent mixed signals. On Saturday, the prime minister seemed to reject the deal, which in his words would end the fighting before Israel achieves its goal of destroying Hamas.

“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,” Mr. Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on X.

But on Sunday, one of Mr. Netanyahu’s senior advisers characterized the proposal as a “deal we agreed to” and seemed to say that Israel was not rejecting the deal outright. Ophir Falk, the key military adviser to Mr. Netanyahu, also said that Israel wants to see changes to the proposal.

“There are a lot of details to be worked out and that includes there will not be a permanent ceasefire until all our objectives are met,” he told Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper.

Those mixed messages from the Netanyahu government come against significant political pressure from all sides at home.

The Israeli leader faces immense public pressure to secure the release of the remaining hostages and to articulate a plan for post-war Gaza. Even members of his own “war cabinet” have pressured Mr. Netanyahu to put forward such a plan.

At the same time, far-right Israeli officials have threatened to bring down the government if Mr. Netanyahu agrees to the U.S. proposal.
“We will not agree to end the war before the destruction of Hamas — not to the grave harm that an [Israeli military] retreat [from Gaza] would cause to the achievements of the war thus far, not to the return of Gazans to northern Gaza, and not to the wholesale release of terrorists who will return, God forbid, to murdering Jews,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said late Saturday, according to the Times of Israel.

Another of Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right allies, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, echoed that stance, vowing that his Otzma Yehudit party, part of Mr. Netanyahu’s broad coalition government, is willing to take drastic action.

“If the prime minister puts this deal into action under the conditions that have been published today, the meaning of which is the end of the war and abandoning [the goal of] destroying Hamas, Otzma Yehudit will dismantle the government,” he said, according to Israeli media.

In his remarks Friday, Mr. Biden said Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out a large-scale attack against Israel. He urged both sides to come together and accept a ceasefire proposal that would end fighting in Gaza.

Speaking at the White House, Mr. Biden said Friday that Qatar has presented Hamas with the proposal that would result in a “full and complete ceasefire” implemented through three phases.

“Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and work to make it real. It’s time for this war to end,” Mr. Biden said.

The first six-week phase of the proposal would include a full ceasefire across Gaza and Israel would withdraw troops from all population centers. Israel and Hamas would exchange some hostages, including U.S. citizens, Mr. Biden said.

In addition, Palestinians would be allowed to return to “all areas of Gaza,” and 600 aid trucks would enter the region each day. Mr. Biden said phase one would continue as long as Israel and Hamas keep negotiating.

The second phase would initiate talks on a “permanent end to hostilities” in Gaza and the third stage would begin the reconstruction of Gaza.

Key regional stakeholders such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates voiced support for the proposal on Sunday.