Washington: US President Joe Biden, on Friday, urged the Hamas to accept a fresh ceasefire deal in Gaza. Detailing the specifics of the latest effort during a televised address, Biden laid out a three-part proposal that would not only allow Gazans to return to their homes across the Strip but would also see hostage-prisoner swaps between Israel and the militant group. Furthermore, as a response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the US President said 600 trucks carrying aid would be sent into the enclave on a daily basis.
All this would take place during the first of the three phases. This six-week phase, Biden emphasised, would see a complete ceasefire in Gaza, with Israeli troops withdrawing from all populated areas of the Strip. As for the aforementioned hostage-prisoner exchange, Biden said that women, elderly and injured hostages would be released by armed groups in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons.
This phase would also see the remains of hostages who have died during captivity being returned to their families.
It will also be during this phase that Hamas and Israel would continue negotiations for phase two which Biden characterised as a ‘permanent end to hostilities’. Biden notes that the two sides will likely have several details to work out before the second phase can be actualised but significantly noted that the ceasefire would not come to an end even after the first six-week phase ends so long as both sides continue to negotiate.
During the second phase, whenever it happens, all hostages, including male Israeli soldiers, will be released. In return, Israeli forces will completely withdraw from Gaza. Biden said that “as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments, the temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal. a cessation of hostilities permanently.”
Finally, in phase three, a major reconstruction plan for Gaza would be set in motion.
Biden capped off his address by assuring the people of Israel that they can make this offer to Hamas knowing that there is no further risk to their security “because they have devastated Hamas forces over the past eight months.”
“At this point, Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7 attack,” he added.
He acknowledged that there would be those in Israel, including some in the administration, who would not agree to this plan and would want to continue fighting in Gaza, with the hostages not being a major priority for them but called on Israeli leadership to resist such pressures and push forward with this proposal.
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