Key Points
- US President Joe Biden has outlined a three-phase ceasefire deal proposed by Israel to end its war on Gaza.
- It includes the Israeli military’s withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
- Hamas has responded positively to the proposal and said it was ready to engage in a “constructive manner”.
US President Joe Biden has laid out what he described as a three-phase Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza in return for the release of Israeli hostages, saying “it’s time for this war to end” and winning a positive initial reaction from Hamas.
The offer calls for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and the reconstruction of Gaza, among other things.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday that it backed the plan.
“It’s time for this war to end and for the day after to begin,” said Biden, who is under election-year pressure to stop the Gaza conflict, now in its eighth month.
What’s included in Israel’s new ceasefire proposal?
First phase: Biden said the first phase of the proposed deal would last for six weeks. It would include a “full and complete ceasefire” and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from “populated areas” in Gaza.
The first phase would also include the release of some hostages taken by Hamas in its 7 October attack on Israel, including women, the elderly and the wounded, and some remains of hostages being returned.
This would come in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Palestinian civilians would return, and 600 trucks a day would bring humanitarian aid into the enclave.
Second phase: The second phase would include a “permanent end to hostilities”. All remaining living hostages taken by Hamas, would be released, including male soldiers, and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.
Third phase: The third and final phase of the proposed deal calls for the start of a major reconstruction of Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding from the devastation caused by the war.
US President Joe Biden outlined the proposal. Source: AAP / Michael Reynolds/Sipa USA
How has Hamas responded?
Hamas has released a statement reacting positively to Biden’s proposal.
The group said it was ready to engage “positively and in a constructive manner” with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces, the reconstruction of Gaza, a return of those displaced, and a “genuine” prisoner swap deal if Israel “clearly announces commitment to such deal”.
What happened to the ceasefire proposal earlier this year?
An called for the release of sick, elderly and wounded hostages in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a six-week ceasefire that could be extended to allow for more humanitarian aid to be delivered into the enclave.
The proposed deal fell apart earlier this month after Israel refused to agree to a permanent end to the war as part of the negotiations and in southern Gaza.
Hamas said on Thursday it had told mediators it would not take part in more negotiations during ongoing aggression but was ready for a “complete agreement”, including an exchange of hostages and prisoners if Israel stopped the war.
Talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and others to arrange a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist movement in the Gaza war have repeatedly stalled, with both sides blaming the other for the lack of progress.
Israel will not agree to any halt in fighting that is not part of a deal that includes the return of surviving hostages, a senior Israeli security official said on Friday.
Israel presses into southern Gaza
Israeli forces said they had ended combat operations in the Jabalia area of north Gaza after more than two weeks of in the area.
The Israeli military said troops had completed their operation and withdrawn to prepare for other operations in Gaza.
Israel has continued raids on Rafah in Gaza’s south despite an order by the International Court of Justice, the top UN court, to halt the attacks.
More than 36,280 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel attacked the enclave in response to Hamas’ 7 October assault in southern Israel, according to authorities.
The Hamas attack killed about 1,200 people, with 250 people taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.
