President Joe Biden has laid out a three-point plan to end the Israel-Hamas war and "rebuild" the Gaza Strip.
Speaking from the White House on Friday, the President said that Israel has proposed the three-part plan, which would ultimately lead to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages who have been held there since the war began nearly eight months ago.
The proposed plan has been relayed to Hamas via Qatar - one of the main mediators in negotiations.
Biden added that Hamas is “no longer capable” of carrying out another large-scale attack on Israel as he urged Israelis and Hamas to come to a deal to release remaining hostages for an extended cease-fire.
The Democratic president called the proposal “a road map to an enduring cease-fire and the release of all hostages.”
Phase 1
Biden said the first phase of the proposed deal would last for six weeks and would include a “full and complete cease-fire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of several hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
American hostages would be released at this stage, and the remains of hostages who have been killed, would be returned to their families. Humanitarian assistance would surge during the first phase, with 600 trucks being allowed into Gaza each day.
Phase 2
The second phase would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza.
Biden said: "And as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments, the temporary cease-fire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposals, ‘the cessation of hostilities permanently.'"
Phase 3
The third phase calls for the start of a major reconstruction of Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding from the devastation caused by the war.
But Biden acknowledged that keeping the deal on track would be difficult, saying there are a number of “details to negotiate” to move from the first phase to the second.
Biden’s remarks came as the Israeli military confirmed that its forces are now operating in central parts of Rafah in its expanding offensive in the southern Gaza city. Biden called it “a truly decisive moment.” He added that Hamas said it wants a cease-fire and that an Israeli-phased deal is an opportunity to prove “whether they really mean it.”
Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas’ October 7 attack in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people - mostly civilians - and abducted about 250. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more.
Cease-fire talks ground to a halt at the beginning of the month after a major push by the US and other mediators to secure a deal, in hopes of averting a planned Israeli invasion of the southern city of Rafah.
The talks were stymied by a central sticking point: Hamas demands guarantees that the war will end and Israeli troops will withdraw from Gaza completely in return for the release of all the hostages, a demand Israel rejects.
Follow Daily Express US
Get all the latest news, entertainment, sport and lifestyle updates from our dedicated American team.
Follow Daily Express US on Facebook and Twitter @ExpressUSNews
Related articles
- Anti-Israel protestors chant 'Hamas kill another soldier now' in chilling video
- Israel hammers Gaza with fresh round of airstrikes as three killed in Rafah
- Hamas's ex-hostage shares her terrorist captor's chilling obsession
- Israel doubles-down on Hamas war as top minister warns 'no force' will stop army
- Israel embassy set on fire during 'solidarity with Palestine' protest in Mexico