President Joe Biden has laid out a three-phase Israeli proposal to end the conflict in Gaza, saying: “It is time for this war to end.”
In his speech at the White House, Biden said Hamas has degraded to the point that it can no longer carry out the type of attack that started the current eight-month conflict.
The three phases: Biden said the first phase would last six weeks and include the “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 Palestinians.” prisoners.”
He said the second phase would allow the “exchange for the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers.”
“And as long as Hamas follows through on its commitments, the temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposals, 'the permanent cessation of hostilities,'” Biden added.
In the third phase, the president said, “a major reconstruction plan for Gaza would begin and the final remains of the hostages who have been killed will be returned to their families.”
Hamas and Israel respond: The militant group said it “views positively” what was described and said it would respond “constructively” to any ceasefire and hostage-taking plans.
Shortly after Biden detailed the Israeli proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that the country would not end the war until Hamas was defeated.
The Prime Minister's Office insisted that the proposal allows Israel to “maintain these principles.”
Read more about the peace proposal here.
