War in Gaza: What is Biden’s plan to end the conflict (and what are the chances Israel and Hamas will accept it)

Hamas said it was looking into the proposal “in a positive way.”

In a speech at the White House on Friday, Biden said that “this is truly a defining moment.”

“Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This agreement is a chance to show if they really want that.”

He said the ceasefire would allow more humanitarian aid to reach the besieged region, with “600 trucks delivering aid to Gaza every day.”

In the second phase, all remaining surviving hostages, including male soldiers, would be returned. The ceasefire would then become a “permanent cessation of hostilities”.

Those who have urged Hamas to accept the offer include Britain’s Foreign Secretary, David Cameron, who said on X (the network formerly known as Twitter) that the group “must accept this deal so that we can see an end to the fighting”.

“We have long argued that an end to the fighting could lead to a lasting peace if we are all prepared to take the appropriate action,” Cameron said.

“Let’s seize this moment and end this conflict.”

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterresalso welcomed the development in a post on X.

He said the world had “seen too much suffering (and) destruction in Gaza” and it was “time to stop”.

“I welcome (President) Biden’s initiative (and) encourage all parties to take advantage of this opportunity to reach a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, guaranteed unhindered humanitarian access (and, ultimately, lasting peace in the Middle East),” he said.

In his speech, Biden acknowledged that negotiations between phases one and two would be difficult.

Just days earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that he was adamantly opposed to agreeing to an end to the war as part of a ceasefire deal, making Biden’s reference to ending the war particularly significant.

Although the plan includes many details from a previous round of talks that ultimately failed, it appears to call for a permanent ceasefire by the US Important concession It is designed to try to bring Hamas back to negotiations on terms they have already said they will accept.

A permanent ceasefire has been one of the group’s key demands.

The proposal’s third phase would include the return of the remains of dead Israeli hostages, as well as a “grand reconstruction plan” with American and international aid to rebuild homes, schools, and hospitals.

In his remarks, Biden acknowledged that some Israelis, including Israeli government officials, would likely oppose the proposal.

“I have urged Israel’s leaders to support this agreement,” he said, “no matter what (political) pressure may arise.”

The US President addressed the Israeli people directly, telling them that “we cannot waste this moment.”

In particular, Biden claimed that Hamas has been humiliated to the point that it can no longer repeat the attack its fighters carried out on October 7, a possible signal to the Israelis that Washington considers the war over.

In a statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed that the war will not end until its objectives are achieved, including the return of all hostages and the elimination of Hamas’s military and governance capabilities.

And he said the latest plan would allow Israel to defend these principles.

Hamas, for its part, said it regarded the resolution as “positive”. For his calls for a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, reconstruction, and prisoner exchanges.

The group said it was ready to “positively and constructively address” any proposal centered on a permanent ceasefire, as long as Israel “declares its clear commitment to it.”

Another Palestinian official familiar with the talks, who saw the new Israeli proposal, said the document did not include a guarantee that the war would end, nor that IDF troops would completely withdraw from Gaza.

The proposal was conveyed to Hamas through Qatar-based mediators.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his counterparts from Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey to try to achieve a goal Wide Support for the offer.

Blinken “emphasized that Hamas must accept the agreement and that all countries with ties to Hamas should press them to do so without delay,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said late Friday.

As the number of civilian casualties in Gaza mounts, Biden has faced growing domestic criticism The US called for a reduction in the level of support for Israel and for more efforts to encourage the warring parties to negotiate.

However, earlier this week, the White House said it did not believe the Israeli action in Rafah was a “major ground action” that could cross a red line and lead to a potential change in US policy.

The statement comes after Israeli airstrikes and the resulting fire At least 45 Palestinians would be killed on Sunday.

In a separate announcement on Friday, US lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle formally invited Netanyahu to address Congress in Washington.

It is not clear when this speech will take place.

More than 36,000 people have died in Gaza since the conflict began, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The war began in October, when Hamas gunmen launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 252 hostages to Gaza.