WASHINGTON – U.S. President Joe Biden issued his most pointed call for an end to the Gaza war, calling on Hamas and Israel to close a three-stage deal that would include the release of hostages as well as a cease-fire and bolstered humanitarian assistance flowing into Gaza.
"Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices, let the leaders know they should take this deal," Biden said. "It's time for this war to end and for the day after to begin."
In remarks only planned several hours prior to their delivery, Biden noted Israel offered "a comprehensive new proposal. It's a roadmap to an enduring cease-fire and the release of all hostages. This proposal had been transmitted by Qatar to Hamas," following intensive diplomacy carried out by U.S. officials alongside Israeli, Egypt and Qatar.
Phase One: Six week cease-fire; Withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza; Partial release of hostages, including women, elderly and wounded, in exchange for release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners; Palestinian civilians can return to their homes; At least 600 trucks of humanitarian aid entering Gaza daily
Phase Two: Negotiated during Phase One; Release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers; Israeli withdrawal from Gaza; Permanent end to hostilities
Phase Three: Remains of hostages who were killed returned to families; Major reconstruction plan for Gaza
According to Biden, the first phase would last for six weeks and would include a "full and complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, release of a number of hostages – including women, the elderly, the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners."
American hostages would be among those released in this stage, as well as the remains of hostages no longer alive, while Palestinian civilians would be permitted to return to all areas of Gaza.
Phase one would additionally include at least 600 trucks of humanitarian aid entering Gaza daily, along with hundreds of thousands of temporary shelters – including housing units delivered by the international community.
During this phase, Israel and Hamas would continue negotiating how to get to phase two – "a permanent end to stop hostilities." Biden acknowledged that many details of how to get to this stage still need to be hammered out, though negotiations would not be limited to the six-week phase one.
"In exchange for the release of all remaining living hostages, including soldiers and Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, and as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments ... a temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal – a cessation of hostilities permanently," Biden said. Phase three would then include a major Gaza reconstruction plan along with the return of any final remains of hostages.
Palestinians carry some salvaged belongings as they leave the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip after they returned briefly to check on their homes on Friday.Credit: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP
"That's the offer that's now on the table. The people of Israel should know they can make this offer without any further risk to their own security because they've devastated Hamas over the past eight months," Biden said. "At this point, Hamas no longer is capable of carrying out another October 7 – one of the Israelis main objectives of this war, and, quite frankly, a righteous one.
Biden acknowledged, "I know there are others in Israel who will not agree with this plan and will call for the war to continue. Some are even in the government coalition. They think they want to occupy Gaza. They want to keep fighting for years, and the hostages are not a priority to them."
"Well, I've urged the Israeli government to stand behind this deal, despite whatever pressure comes. To the people of Israel, let me say this: As someone who had a lifelong commitment to Israel, as the only American president who's ever gone to Israel in a time of war, as someone who just sent the U.S. forces to directly defend Israel when it was attacked by Iran, I ask you to take a step back and think what will happen."
Biden warned the Israeli people to "not lose this moment for indefinite war in pursuit of an unidentified notion of total victory, draining the economic, military, human and human resources and furthering Israel's isolation in the world. That will not bring hostages home, that will not bring an enduring defeat of Hamas, that will not bring Israel lasting security."
He added a hostage deal would further clear the path toward calm on the Israel-Lebanon border as well as potential normalization with Saudi Arabia and greater regional integration, ensuring Israel's security.
"This is truly a decisive moment," Biden insisted. "Hamas says it wants a cease-fire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really need it. Hamas needs to take the deal. For months, people all over the world have called for cease-fire. Now it's time to raise your voices."
President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House on Friday.Credit: Evan Vucci/AP
A senior U.S. official said, "The president's message was clear: There's now a roadmap in place to do all of this," adding that the proposal was delivered to Hamas on Thursday night.
"Hamas says it wants a cease-fire, and this deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it," the official stressed. "Hamas has said they'd be prepared to do 'deal X' – and what is now on the table is basically that with some very minor adjustments."
"I don't think this offer would have been possible three months ago. This has been a difficult, painstaking negotiation, and at the heart of it is the core demand to see hostages coming home. With hostages coming home, there is now really a roadmap to the end of the crisis," the official continued, describing the four-and-a-half page agreement as "really kind of an end-game to the process."
The official acknowledged internal Israeli dissent around a potential deal, saying "we know there are debates about these issues in Israel, of course. [Biden] made clear that this is a far better path than alternatives. And it's the only path that is available to both bring the hostages home and to ensure Israel's lasting and long-term security."
Families of hostages protest for a hostage release deal in Tel Aviv.Credit: Susana Vera/Reuters
The official stressed "Israel can make this offer without further risk to their own security, because Israel has so degraded Hamas' forces over the last eight months that the President explained at this point, of course, Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7, its military capacity has been significantly eroded, and its leaders are dead or in deep hiding."
Regarding Gaza's reconstruction in phase three, the official described it as a "pretty extensive three-to-five year reconstruction program for Gaza that's fully backed by us, by the international community and others."
Concerning Rafah, the official pushed back against claims that Israel has undertaken an operation pushing past Biden's previous red line. "We have a very good picture of exactly what was happening in Rafah. One reason that we've spoken so clearly about is because we actually know exactly where Israeli forces are, what they're doing, what the objectives are. And so far, I think we have a pretty clear understanding."