Declaring that "it's time for this war to end," US President Joe Biden has encouraged Hamas to accept a fresh Israeli approach to end the crisis in Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would withdraw from populous areas of Gaza during the first six weeks of the three-part proposal's ceasefire. In addition, there would be a "surge" in humanitarian relief and a hostage swap for Palestinian captives. Eventually, the agreement would result in a long-term "cessation of hostilities" and a comprehensive plan for Gaza's rebuilding.
The plan is viewed "positively" by Hamas.
Speaking on Friday at the White House, Mr. Biden said that the first steps of the proposed plan would include the exchange of Palestinian inmates for hostages, the withdrawal of IDF soldiers from civilian areas, and a "full and complete ceasefire."
"This is truly a decisive moment," he said. "A truce is what Hamas claims it wants. This transaction is a chance to demonstrate their sincerity." He continued by saying that more humanitarian supplies will be able to enter the war-torn region thanks to the truce, with "600 trucks carrying aid into Gaza every single day."
All surviving captives, including the male troops, would be returned during the second phase. At that point, the ceasefire would transform into "the cessation of hostilities, permanently."
David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, said on X that Hamas "must accept this deal so we can see a stop in the fighting" and is among many who have pushed the organization to accept the idea.
"We’ve long argued an appearance in the fighting can be turned towards a permanent peace as long as we are all prepared to take the right steps," said Lord Cameron. "Let’s seize this moment while bringing this conflict to an end." Also praising the move was UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in a tweet on X, previously known as Twitter. He said that it was "time to stop" and that the world had "witnessed too much suffering [and] destruction in Gaza".
"I welcome [President] Biden’s suggestion [and] encourage all parties to seize the chance to negotiate for a ceasefire, release of all hostages, guaranteed uninterrupted humanitarian access [and] ultimately the establishment of lasting peace in the Middle East," he said.
Mr. Biden recognized in his remarks that the discussions between phases one and two would be challenging.
Mr. Biden's allusion to the end of the conflict is especially noteworthy since, as recently as a few days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was making it clear that he was adamantly opposed to consenting to an end to the war as part of a ceasefire agreement.
Even while the proposal contains a lot of the elements from earlier, ultimately unsuccessful rounds of discussions, the US's requests for an indefinite truce seem like a big concession meant to try to get Hamas to return to talks on conditions they have previously indicated they would accept. One of the main requests of the organization has been a permanent ceasefire.
The proposal's third phase called for the repatriation of any last remnants of Israeli captives who had passed away as well as a "major reconstruction plan" that called for funding from the US and other countries to restore houses, clinics, and schools.
During his speech, Mr. Biden said that he expected opposition to the idea from several Israelis, including government leaders. "I've urged the leadership in Israel to stand behind this deal," he said. "Whatever the source of [political] pressure may be. The Israeli people were also spoken to directly by the US president, who told them that "we can't lose this moment".
Notably, Mr. Biden said that Hamas has now been so weakened that it is unable to carry out an operation similar to what its fighters carried out on October 7. This is probably a warning to the Israelis that Washington believes the conflict is over. Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized in a statement that the conflict would not finish until all of its goals—including the release of all captives and the dismantling of Hamas' ability to rule and levy military force—were met. According to him, Israel would be able to adhere to these values under the new strategy.
Regarding the plan, Hamas said that it sees it "positively" due to its demands for an ongoing ceasefire, the evacuation of Israeli soldiers from Gaza, rebuilding, and the exchanging of detainees. The organization said that if Israel "declares its explicit commitment to that," it would be willing to "deal positively and constructively" with any plan centered around an ongoing truce.
The latest Israeli plan, according to a second Palestinian source with knowledge of the discussions and access to the paper, does not guarantee the end of the conflict or the full withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza.Through intermediaries situated in Qatar, the plan has been sent to Hamas.
President Biden is under increasing internal criticism for the US's degree of support for Israel in light of the escalating number of civilian losses in Gaza. He has also been called upon to do more to urge the warring parties to engage in negotiations.
But the White House said earlier this week that it did not consider the Israeli actions in Rafah to be a "major ground operation" that may cross a boundary and lead to a potential shift in US policy. The declaration was made after at least 45 Palestinian deaths on Sunday as a consequence of an Israeli airstrike and the ensuing fire.
US legislators from both parties officially invited Mr. Netanyahu to address Congress in Washington on Friday in a separate statement.
When the address would occur is unknown. The health ministry, which is managed by Hamas, claims that since the battle began, over 36,000 people have died in Gaza. When Hamas terrorists stormed Israel in October, they killed over 1,200 people and kidnapped 252 more, sending them back to Gaza as prisoners. This marked the beginning of the conflict.
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