President Joe Biden presented a detailed three-phase Gaza peace plan Friday, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Biden shared a proposal aimed at ending the nearly eight-month-long conflict in the Middle East, according to AP. The plan primarily focuses on the release of hostages held in Gaza. During a White House briefing, Biden conveyed optimism about the potential to halt hostilities, claiming that Hamas lacks the capability to launch another significant attack on Israel.
Biden details a 3-phase hostage deal aimed at winding down the Israel-Hamas war https://t.co/hAemmlkI2Z pic.twitter.com/jT1pgsBJU5
— New York Post (@nypost) May 31, 2024
The initial phase of the proposed agreement stipulates a comprehensive six-week “full and complete cease-fire,” during which Israeli forces would retreat from populated areas in Gaza, the outlet reported. This phase also involves the exchange of numerous hostages, including women, elderly and injured individuals, for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. This stage will see the release of American hostages and the return of remains of deceased hostages, alongside a significant increase in humanitarian aid, with 600 trucks permitted daily into Gaza.
The second phase focuses on the liberation of all remaining living hostages, including Israeli soldiers, paired with a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, AP stated.
“And as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments, the temporary cease-fire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal, ‘the cessation of hostilities permanently,’” Biden said, AP reported.
Israeli army armoured vehicles operate near the border with the Gaza Strip on May 30, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
The final phase involves reconstruction efforts in Gaza, addressing the extensive damage inflicted by the conflict. Despite the structured proposal, the situation remains precarious, with numerous logistical and political challenges to navigate, including the exact terms of hostage and prisoner releases, the outlet reported. (RELATED: REPORT: New Viral Slogan Targeting Israel’s Campaign In Rafah Has Surprising Source)
Adding to the geopolitical dynamics, congressional leaders have extended an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the U.S. Capitol. The invitation arose during Biden’s re-election campaign, shaped by his administration’s management of the conflict and various political pressures to sway Netanyahu’s forceful military tactics, AP reported.
Biden acknowledged the complexities in advancing the Israeli proposal, noting numerous “details to negotiate” to progress from its initial to subsequent phases. He commented as the Israeli military intensified its operations in central Rafah, part of a broader offensive in Gaza, marking what he described as a “a truly a decisive moment,” according to AP.
