At a White House press conference, U.S. President Biden spoke about the latest situation in the Gaza Strip and Israel’s new proposal for ceasefire negotiations.
Biden said Israel had presented a new three-phase ceasefire proposal, the first of which would see Israel withdraw from Gaza settlements and release some of the hostages held by the parties during a six-week ceasefire.
“The new draft consists of three phases, the first of which will last six weeks and includes the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza settlements.” Biden said this process would also see the release of a group of hostages held by Hamas – mostly elderly and women – as well as some Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
The US President also said that this first phase envisages an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza to 600 trucks per day.
Israel and Hamas to continue negotiations for permanent ceasefire
Regarding the proposal conveyed to Hamas via Qatar, Biden said: “During this six-week first phase, Israel and Hamas would negotiate towards moving to phase two – a permanent cessation of the conflict. In phase two, all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, would be released and Israel would withdraw from Gaza. “The temporary ceasefire (of the first phase) would be transformed into a permanent cessation of hostilities,” he said.
Biden said if the negotiating process between the parties lasts longer than six weeks, the temporary ceasefire would continue as long as talks continue.
Biden noted that if the parties reach an agreement on all issues in the second phase and the ceasefire becomes permanent, the third phase will begin, and that this final phase will focus on the reconstruction process in Gaza and the sacrifice of the dead, and that any hostages remaining in the hands of the parties will be handed over.
“It’s time for this war to end.”
Biden said he hoped the ceasefire plan would be acceptable to both Israel and Hamas, saying, “It’s time for this war to end. It’s time to move on to a new phase.”
In his speech, Biden said he understood that some groups in Israel do not support a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but stressed that the agreement is an important opportunity for Israel’s security and should be used well.
Calling on Israel: “We cannot miss this opportunity”
Addressing the Israeli administration, Biden said, “I call on Israeli leaders to support this agreement. As a lifetime veteran of Israel and the only president to have been to Israel during wartime, I say: step back, and then act. Think about what would happen if we missed this opportunity. We cannot miss this opportunity,” he commented.
Biden stressed that Israel cannot ensure its security through “endless wars” or “guaranteed victory” approaches, and that it needs to act with a more comprehensive plan that includes the Palestinians.
Biden said Hamas no longer “has the capacity to launch a large-scale attack like that of October 7” against Israel, reminding us that this is one of Israel’s main goals.
Biden noted that the Gaza conflict has resulted in the killing of many innocent Palestinian civilians, including a significant number of children, adding that the images that emerged after last weekend’s Israeli attack on the Rafah tent camp were extremely saddening.
Hamas: We view this proposal positively
A statement issued by Hamas on the matter said, “We view the latest ceasefire proposal shared by US President Biden as a positive one.”
In a statement released by Hamas regarding the ceasefire proposal, the following was said:
“We view the latest ceasefire proposal shared by US President Biden as positive. We stand ready to welcome positively any proposal that includes a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced persons and heavy prisoners, and a hostage exchange.”
