Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden announced Friday that Israel had offered a new roadmap to sustainable peace in Gaza, urging Hamas to accept the surprise deal because it’s time to end the war.
In his first major statement outlining a solution to the eight-month conflict, Biden said the approach began with a six-week phase in which Israeli soldiers would withdraw from all populous areas in Gaza.
In a televised address from the White House, the US President noted, “It’s time for this war to end, for the day after to begin”.
Biden went on to say, “Israel has offered a comprehensive new proposal. It’s a roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages”.
“Hamas needs to take the deal”, Biden urged.
Biden stated that he had also urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders not to lose this moment, claiming that Israel’s offensive had significantly degraded Hamas.
“Hamas no longer is capable of carrying out another October 7”, Biden continued.
The US President explained, “The first six-week phase would include a full and complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners”.
“Israel and Hamas would then negotiate during those six weeks for a lasting ceasefire — but the truce would continue if the talks remained underway”, the US President added.
He went on to say, “As long as Hamas lives up to its commitments, a temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal, the cessation of hostilities permanently”.
A third phase would involve years of internationally supported reconstruction.
