https://news.antiwar.com/2024/05/31/biden-unveils-israeli-ceasefire-offer/
Biden Unveils Israeli Ceasefire Offer
The president repeated demands for Hamas to relinquish power in the Gaza Strip
by Will Porter
President Joe Biden has announced a new Israeli ceasefire proposal to Hamas, claiming the move could lead to a “comprehensive” deal that ends the war in Gaza. Details of the offer remain murky, however, and it’s still unclear whether the terms will be acceptable to either side.
Biden unveiled the latest offer in a speech from the White House on Friday afternoon, calling for a “durable end to the war,” the return of all hostages, and a long-term political settlement. He added that Qatari mediators had already communicated the proposal to Hamas.
In a statement issued soon after Biden’s address, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that negotiators were cleared to “present an outline” to Hamas. Still, it insisted “the war will not end until all of [Israel’s] goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.”
The statement stopped short of confirming any details put forward in Biden’s speech, however, leaving it unclear exactly where Tel Aviv stands on the specifics.
Sources close to Netanyahu offered a less optimistic take in comments to Sky News, saying the Israeli government does not “wholly recognize or agree with” the plan outlined by Biden on Friday. They added that the new offer was made without the PM’s “cooperation,” but did not elaborate.
The deal endorsed by Washington would take place in three stages, according to Biden. The first phase would last six weeks, and aim to produce a “full and complete ceasefire” and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza’s “populated areas.” During that time, Tel Aviv would free “hundreds” of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the bulk of the hostages still held by Hamas.
Should negotiations take longer than six weeks, the deal would still hold so long as talks continued. However, Biden went on to warn that “Israel can resume military operations” at any time if it determines Hamas failed to meet its commitments.
The second stage would involve a full Israeli pull-out from Gaza and further prisoner exchanges, in hopes that the “temporary” ceasefire would then become permanent. The third and final leg of the deal would then see a “major reconstruction plan” in the Gaza Strip, which is in ruins after eight months of bombing.
While the president said his administration would help to ensure Israel held up its end of the bargain, he did not explain how. Biden has largely refused to condition military aid on Tel Aviv’s conduct in Gaza, and Israeli officials have consistently ignored US requests throughout the conflict.
Hamas has yet to respond to the latest offer, though it recently said it would only negotiate after Israel ended military operations in Gaza. The group nonetheless stated it was ready for a “complete agreement,” including a “comprehensive exchange deal” for hostages, but its terms were quickly shot down as “delusional” by Tel Aviv.