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- Biden Sets Out Plan for Gaza Peace; Hamas Say Proposal is "Positive"
©(Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)
US President Joe Biden said on Friday that Israel had offered a new roadmap towards permanent peace in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept the surprise deal as it was "time for this war to end."
In his first major address outlining a solution to the eight-month conflict, Biden said the proposal started with a six-week phase that would see Israeli forces withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza.
The US president emphasized the new proposal that Israel presented, saying it includes "a cessation of hostilities permanently," one of the most critical demands in the preceding talks.
The first phase would last six weeks, including a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all populated areas in Gaza, in addition to the release of some hostages, which include women, the elderly, and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The remains of dead captives would be returned to their families, while Palestinian civilians would return to their homes in neighborhoods across Gaza, including in the north. It was stipulated that humanitarian assistance would increase with 600 trucks entering Gaza each day, and hundreds of thousands of tents would be distributed by the international community.
The second phase includes the exchange of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, along with the complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza.
The third phase will include the beginning of "a major reconstruction plan for Gaza" and the final return of any remains of captives.
"It's time for this war to end, for the day after to begin," Biden said in a televised address from the White House, adding that "we can't lose this moment" to seize the chance for peace.
"Israel has offered a comprehensive new proposal. It's a roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages," he added. "Hamas needs to take the deal," said Biden, who has supported Israel with military aid since the conflict began.
Hamas on Friday said it "considers positively" the roadmap towards a full Gaza ceasefire announced by US President Joe Biden.
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' Qatar-based political office, reiterated that the group's core demands, including a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal, "are non-negotiable."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted by saying the Gaza war would not end until the "elimination" of Hamas's capacity to govern and make war, after US President Joe Biden said Israel had offered a new peace roadmap.
"The prime minister authorized the negotiating team to present an outline for achieving this goal, while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities," Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
The chief of the European Union foreign and security policy Josep Borrell stated that the European Union fully supports the roadmap announced by Biden for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said on X that the group "must accept this deal so we can see a stop in the fighting".
In his first major address outlining a solution to the eight-month conflict, Biden said the proposal started with a six-week phase that would see Israeli forces withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza.
The US president emphasized the new proposal that Israel presented, saying it includes "a cessation of hostilities permanently," one of the most critical demands in the preceding talks.
The first phase would last six weeks, including a complete ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all populated areas in Gaza, in addition to the release of some hostages, which include women, the elderly, and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The remains of dead captives would be returned to their families, while Palestinian civilians would return to their homes in neighborhoods across Gaza, including in the north. It was stipulated that humanitarian assistance would increase with 600 trucks entering Gaza each day, and hundreds of thousands of tents would be distributed by the international community.
The second phase includes the exchange of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, along with the complete withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza.
The third phase will include the beginning of "a major reconstruction plan for Gaza" and the final return of any remains of captives.
"It's time for this war to end, for the day after to begin," Biden said in a televised address from the White House, adding that "we can't lose this moment" to seize the chance for peace.
"Israel has offered a comprehensive new proposal. It's a roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages," he added. "Hamas needs to take the deal," said Biden, who has supported Israel with military aid since the conflict began.
Hamas on Friday said it "considers positively" the roadmap towards a full Gaza ceasefire announced by US President Joe Biden.
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' Qatar-based political office, reiterated that the group's core demands, including a permanent ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal, "are non-negotiable."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted by saying the Gaza war would not end until the "elimination" of Hamas's capacity to govern and make war, after US President Joe Biden said Israel had offered a new peace roadmap.
"The prime minister authorized the negotiating team to present an outline for achieving this goal, while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities," Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
The chief of the European Union foreign and security policy Josep Borrell stated that the European Union fully supports the roadmap announced by Biden for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of captives.
UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said on X that the group "must accept this deal so we can see a stop in the fighting".
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