US President Joe Biden proposed a peace proposal this Friday to end the long war between Israel and Hamas. But officials in Tel Aviv already say they won’t accept it.
During a speech at the White House on Friday afternoon, US President Joe Biden said that Israel has proposed a new three-phase ceasefire agreement and a plan for the day after the war, which is a vital opportunity for Hamas to end the war. “Israel has now presented a road map for a lasting ceasefire and the release of all hostages. Yesterday, this proposal was communicated by Qatar to Hamas. Today, I want to express its terms to the world. ” Biden said. Outlining the terms of the deal, which would begin with a six-week ceasefire, the US president said the deal will be implemented in three phases.
What are the three phases of Biden’s peace proposal?
In the first phase, Israeli forces will withdraw from populated areas of Gaza. Some of the American hostages will be released in the first stage. Palestinians also return to their homes in all areas of Gaza, including the northern areas. Humanitarian aid will also be sent to Gaza at the rate of 600 trucks per day.
Also at this stage, thousands of temporary shelters, including emergency housing units, will be delivered by international organizations to Palestinians who have become homeless during the war. During these six weeks of ceasefire, Israel and Hamas will negotiate the necessary arrangements to reach the second phase of the plan, which includes a permanent ceasefire. Biden acknowledged that there are, of course, “parts of detail” that must be negotiated to move from phase one to phase two, as Israel wants to make sure its interests are protected.
The second phase of the plan involves the release of all remaining hostages, including male soldiers. According to Biden, in the second phase, Israel will withdraw all its forces from Gaza until Hamas fulfills its obligations. Quoting directly from the text of the agreement, Biden said: “The temporary ceasefire will become a permanent cessation of hostilities.”
The final and third phase of the proposal includes the reconstruction of Gaza and the final release of the remaining hostages. “It’s time for this war to end, and that’s the proposal that’s on the table now,” Biden said, presenting the details of the deal.
Hamas is positive about the new proposal!
Hours after Biden introduce the new peace proposal, Hamas issued a statement and said the group has a “positive” look to the proposal, which includes a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
“Hamas confirms its readiness to deal positively and constructively with any proposal that is based on a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal [of Israeli forces] from the Gaza Strip, the reconstruction of [Gaza] and the return of the displaced,” the statement said.
Israel still confused how to react to the proposal!
Although Biden clearly announced in his speech on Friday that “Israel has agreed to this new peace proposal,” sources close to Netanyahu have said that they “absolutely” do not recognize or agree with the proposal made by Biden, but that Netanyahu’s office has announced that he has given permission to the negotiators to present this new proposal.
It is therefore still not clear how the Israeli government would react to Biden’s sudden move. Moreover, although Biden also said on Friday that “Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another attack like October 7, and this means that Israel’s main goal in the war has been achieved”, it does not seem that the Israeli government has the same opinion on the matter
According to the Middle East Monitor news agency, an Israeli official said following Biden’s speech that such an agreement is a “victory for Hamas”, noting that Biden does not have a proper understanding of the reality of the Gaza war. What makes Biden’s proposal less likely to be a success is that only two days before his speech, Tzachi Only, Israel’s national security adviser, said that the war in Gaza will probably continue until the end of the year, that is, for another 7 months.
“We are waiting for seven more months of war to destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas and the smaller group, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ),” he said in an interview with Israel’s Kan TV channel on Wednesday.
