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U.S. President Joe Biden said “it’s time to end this war” and urged Hamas to accept new Israeli proposals to end the Gaza conflict.
The three-part proposal begins with a six-week ceasefire during which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza.
There will also be a “surge” in humanitarian aid and the exchange of some hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
The agreement would ultimately lead to a permanent “cessation of hostilities” and plans for a large-scale reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.
- author, Bernd Debsmann Jr. & Tom Bateman
- role, BBC News, Washington
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Hamas said it viewed the proposal “positively.”
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Biden said the first phase of his proposed plan would include a “full and complete ceasefire,” a withdrawal of IDF forces from populated areas and an exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
“This is really a defining moment,” he said. “Hamas says they want a ceasefire. This agreement is their opportunity to prove whether they really mean it.”
He added that the ceasefire would allow more humanitarian aid to reach hard-hit areas, with “600 trucks delivering aid to Gaza every day.”
In the second phase, all surviving hostages, including male soldiers, will be returned, after which the ceasefire will become a “permanent cessation of hostilities.”
One of the people urging Hamas to agree to the proposal was British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said in a statement that “Hamas must accept this agreement to see a cessation of fighting.”
“We have long maintained that if we are all prepared to take the right steps, the cessation of hostilities can be transformed into a lasting peace,” Lord Cameron added. “Let’s seize this opportunity to end this conflict.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also welcomed the development in a Twitter post, saying the world has “witnessed too much suffering.” [and] “The destruction in Gaza must be condemned,” he said, “and it’s time to stop it.”
“I welcome [President] Biden’s Initiative [and] We encourage all parties to seize this opportunity to secure a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and ensure unhindered humanitarian access. [and] “It will ultimately bring lasting peace to the Middle East,” he added.
In his speech, Biden acknowledged that negotiations between phases one and two will be difficult.
Biden’s reference to an end to the war is particularly significant because only a few days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had made it clear that he was adamantly opposed to agreeing to end the hostilities as part of a ceasefire deal.
The plan includes many of the details of past talks that ultimately failed, but the U.S. demand for a permanent ceasefire appears to be a major concession intended to lure Hamas back into negotiations on terms it has already said it would agree to – one of its main demands.
The third phase of the proposal would see the return of the bodies of the Israeli hostages who died and a “massive reconstruction plan” to rebuild homes, schools and hospitals with U.S. and international help.
Biden acknowledged in his speech that some Israelis, including Israeli government officials, would likely oppose the proposal.
“I have urged Israeli leaders to support this agreement,” he said. [political] The pressure is on.
The US president also spoke directly to the Israeli people, saying “we cannot let this moment slip away.”
Notably, Biden said Hamas is now too weakened to be able to repeat the attacks carried out by Hamas fighters on October 7, likely as a signal to Israel that Washington considers the war over.
Netanyahu said in a statement that the war would not end until its objectives, including the return of all hostages and the elimination of Hamas’ military and governing power, were achieved. He said the latest plan would enable Israel to adhere to those principles.
Hamas, meanwhile, said it viewed the proposal “positively” as it seeks a permanent ceasefire, Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction and a prisoner exchange.
The group said it was ready to “deal positively and constructively” with any proposals centered around a permanent ceasefire, as long as Israel “expresses its clear commitment.”
Another Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations said he had seen the new Israeli proposal but that the document contained no guarantee that the war would end or that the IDF would fully withdraw from Gaza.
The proposal was conveyed to Hamas through an intermediary based in Qatar.
As civilian casualties in Gaza mount, President Biden is facing growing criticism at home about the level of U.S. support for Israel and calls to do more to encourage negotiations between the warring sides.
But the White House said earlier this week that it did not believe the Israeli operation in Rafah amounted to a “major ground operation” that could cross a red line and trigger a change in U.S. policy.
The statement came after at least 45 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike and subsequent fire on Sunday.
In a separate announcement on Friday, US lawmakers from both parties formally invited Netanyahu to address Congress in Washington.
It is unclear when the speech will take place.
More than 36,000 people have been killed across the Gaza Strip since the conflict began, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
The war began in October when Hamas militants launched unprecedented attacks on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and forcing 252 hostages back to Gaza.
