WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday outlined a three-phase deal proposed by Israel to Hamas militants that he said could lead to the release of remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip and end the grueling Middle East war that has lasted nearly eight months.
Biden added that Hamas was “no longer capable” of carrying out another large-scale attack on Israel and called on Israelis and Hamas to reach an agreement to release the remaining hostages as part of an expanded ceasefire.
In a statement from the White House, the Democratic president described the proposal as a “roadmap for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages.”
Biden said the first phase of the proposed agreement would last six weeks and include a “complete and comprehensive ceasefire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
During this phase, American hostages would be released and the remains of dead hostages would be returned to their families. Humanitarian aid would augment in the first phase, with 600 trucks being allowed into Gaza every day.
The second phase would involve the release of all surviving hostages, including male soldiers, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
“And as long as Hamas complies with its commitments, the temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal, a ‘permanent cessation of hostilities,'” Biden said.
The third phase envisages the start of a comprehensive reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which faces decades of reconstruction after the destruction caused by the war. The 4.5-page Israeli proposal was sent to Hamas on Thursday.
However, Biden acknowledged that keeping the agreement on track would be hard, saying a number of “details still need to be negotiated” to move from phase one to phase two.
One obstacle to overcome in the first phase is for both sides to agree on a ratio of hostages to prisoners to be released in the next phase, according to a senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
Biden’s comments came as the Israeli military confirmed that its forces were now operating in central parts of Rafah as part of their expanding offensive in southern Gaza City. Biden called it “a truly pivotal moment.” He added that Hamas has said it wants a ceasefire and that a phased agreement with Israel is an opportunity to prove “whether they really mean it.”
But while Biden has urged “ending the war and starting the day after,” Israeli politicians have made clear they remain committed to a military defeat of Hamas. The Democrat is in the midst of a tough re-election battle and faces backlash from parts of the political left who expect him to put more pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to end the war.
Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that he had authorized the Israeli hostage negotiation team to find a way to release the remaining hostages. But the Israelis say “the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all of our abductees and the elimination of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.”
Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said earlier this week he expected “another seven months of fighting” to destroy the military and government capabilities of Hamas and the smaller militant group Islamic Jihad.
Hamas said in a statement that it viewed the proposal put forward by Biden “positively” and called on the Israelis to explicitly commit to an agreement that includes a constant ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a prisoner exchange and other conditions.
Israel is facing increasing international criticism for its strategy of systematic destruction in Gaza, which has cost many civilian lives. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombings and ground offensives in the besieged territory.
Biden also appealed to some Israelis who are reluctant to end the war. Some members of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition oppose any agreement that does not lead to the elimination of Hamas and call for a constant occupation of Gaza.
“I ask you to step back and think about what will happen if this moment is lost,” Biden said. “You cannot lose this moment. An indefinite war in pursuit of an unspecified total victory will only bog Israel down in Gaza, deplete economic, military and human resources, and further deepen Israel’s isolation in the world.”
Biden did not mention the creation of a Palestinian state in his remarks, although he has repeatedly said it is crucial to establishing long-term peace in the region. The US administration is also working to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the region’s two largest powers. However, the Saudis oppose any agreement that does not include concrete steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state.
Israel began its war in Gaza after the October 7 Hamas attack, in which militants entered southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and abducting about 250. According to Israel, about 100 hostages are still being held in Gaza, along with the bodies of about 30 others.
Ceasefire talks stalled earlier this month after the United States and other mediators made major efforts to reach an agreement to avert a planned Israeli invasion of the southern city of Rafah.
However, one key sticking point failed to be resolved in the talks: in return for the release of all hostages, Hamas is demanding guarantees of an end to the war and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Israel, however, rejects this demand.
The fresh Israeli proposal is, in its basic outline, “almost identical to the proposals made by Hamas just a few weeks ago,” the Biden administration official said.
Meanwhile, congressional leaders invited Netanyahu to deliver a speech at the U.S. Capitol on Friday. The invitation from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, has been prepared for some time. A date for the speech has not yet been set.
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Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut contributed to this report.
