ISRAEL’S prime minister faced growing pressure today after US President Joe Biden announced a proposed agreement on Saturday to end the fighting in Gaza.

Thousands of Israelis have taken to the street over many weeks demanding that Benjamin Netanyahu reach a deal to end the fighting so that the hostages held by Hamas can be released.

But Mr Netanyahu’s far-right allies are threatening to collapse his government if he accepts the deal before Hamas has been completely destroyed.

Mr Netanyahu called a permanent ceasefire in Gaza a “non-starter” until long-standing conditions for ending the war are met, appearing to undermine the proposal that Mr Biden described as an Israeli one.

A huge demonstration in Israel on Saturday night, led by families of hostages held by Hamas, urged the government to act now. 

The first phase of the deal would last for six weeks and include a “full and complete ceasefire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, older people and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The second phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. 

The third phase calls for the start of a major reconstruction of Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding from the war’s devastation.

Mr Biden acknowledged that keeping the proposal on track would be difficult, with “details to negotiate” to move from the first phase to the second. 

Hamas has said it viewed the proposal “positively” and called on Israel to declare an explicit commitment to an agreement that includes a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and a prisoner exchange.

But far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir said they would break up the government if it takes the deal. 

That could expose Mr Netanyahu to new elections, scrutiny over security failures that led to the war and, if he loses the prime minister post, prosecution on long-standing corruption charges.

Many hostages’ families accuse the government of a lack of will.

“We know that the government of Israel has done an awful lot to delay reaching a deal, and that has cost the lives of many people who survived in captivity for weeks and weeks and months and months,” Sharone Lifschitz said. 

Her mother, Yocheved, was freed in November but her father, Oded, is still held.