Biden’s description of cease-fire offer ‘not accurate,’ Israeli official says

‘You can’t count your hostages until they are home’

Biden’s speech has put Netanyahu under renewed pressure at home and abroad. 

Two of his right-wing ministers threatened to pull out of the coalition that’s keeping him in power if he agrees to the cease-fire deal outlined by Biden. Israeli media reported Monday that Netanyahu was due to meet with his hardline national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, over his threats to quit the government.

At the same time, families of the Israeli hostages have stepped up their demands for the government to make a deal that could secure the release of their loved ones.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh has been held in Gaza since Oct. 7, said Monday the proposal outlined by Biden had left her hopeful but still cautious.

“You can’t count your hostages until they are home and you are hugging them,” she told NBC News in an interview in Jerusalem, adding: “I’d love to think that this is the beginning of the end.”

Goldberg-Polin was critical of Israeli government officials who say it is more important to continue the war than to bring the remaining hostages home. “If you believe in the righteousness to continue this, let’s stop it for five hours, get out those 125, and you, you put your son, daughter, mother, brother, sister, grandfather, baby in there and continue your war with your people there,” she said. “Our people have served their time in hell for nine months.”

The Biden administration also continued its pressure campaign over the weekend.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and war Cabinet member Benny Gantz late Sunday, telling both that he “commended” Israel for the proposal and that the onus was now on Hamas to accept it, according to a summary of the calls released by the State Department. 

A cease-fire deal would bring a much needed reprieve for Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel’s military operation in Rafah has pushed more than 1 million people to flee the southern city, the United Nations’ main agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said Monday.

The Israel Defense Forces said its troops were continuing “intelligence-based, targeted operations” in Rafah, after pushing deeper into the city despite U.S. warnings.

Despite Biden calling it an Israeli proposal, Netanyahu has yet to respond publicly and the country’s official position was not immediately clear. NBC News has reached out to the Israeli prime minister’s office for clarification.

His office released a statement Saturday saying that Israel’s conditions for ending the war had not changed, and that a permanent cease-fire was a “nonstarter” until they were met.

But in an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper, Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy adviser to Netanyahu, said that Israel was not rejecting the deal. It was “a deal we agreed to — it’s not a good deal, but we dearly want the hostages released,” Falk said.

Raf Sanchez reported from Jerusalem, and Yuliya Talmazan from London.