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Biden added that Hamas was “no longer in a position” to carry out another large-scale attack on Israel, while calling on the Israelis and Hamas to reach an agreement to release the remaining hostages for an extended ceasefire.
The Democratic president, in a statement from the White House, called the proposal “a road map to a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages.”
Biden said the first phase of the proposed deal would last six weeks and would include a “total and complete ceasefire”, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, in in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
The American hostages will be released at this point, and the remains of the slain hostages will be returned to their families. Humanitarian aid will increase during the first phase, with 600 trucks allowed into Gaza each day.
The second phase will involve the release of all remaining hostages alive, including male soldiers, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
“And as long as Hamas fulfills its commitments, the temporary ceasefire will become, in the words of the Israeli proposal, a ‘permanent cessation of hostilities,'” Biden said.
The third phase calls for the start of a major reconstruction of Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding from the devastation caused by the war. The four-and-a-half-page Israeli proposal was delivered to Hamas on Thursday.
But Biden acknowledged that sustaining the deal would be difficult, saying there were a number of “details to negotiate” to move from the first phase to the second.
Civilians flee in Rafah as Israel continues its offensive
One hurdle to clear during the first phase will involve the two sides agreeing on the ratio of hostages to prisoners to be released during the next phase, according to a senior Biden administration official who told reporters at condition of anonymity.
Biden’s remarks came as Israel’s military confirmed that its forces were now operating in central Rafah in a widening offensive in the southern city of Gaza. Biden called it “a really defining moment.” He added that Hamas has said it wants a cease-fire and that a phased Israeli deal is an opportunity to prove “if they really mean it.”
But even as Biden insisted that “the war be over and the next day begin,” Israeli officials made it clear they remained committed to defeating Hamas militarily. The Democrat is in the midst of a tough re-election battle and has faced a backlash from some on the political left who want him to put more pressure on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war.
A statement from Netanyahu’s office said he had authorized Israel’s hostage negotiation team to find a way to free the remaining hostages. But the Israelis claim that “the war will not end until all its goals are achieved, including the return of all our abductees and the elimination of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.”
Israel’s national security adviser, Tzahi Hanegbi, said earlier this week that he “expects another seven months of fighting” to destroy the military and governance capabilities of Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad group.
Hamas politburo member Basim Naim described the proposal outlined by Biden as “positive progress,” but did not elaborate.
Israel has faced growing international criticism for its strategy of systematic destruction in Gaza, at a huge cost to civilian lives. Israeli bombing and ground offensives in the besieged territory have killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
Biden also addressed some in Israel who oppose ending the war. Some members of Netanyahu’s far-right coalition have opposed any deal that fails to root out Hamas and have called for a permanent occupation of Gaza.
“I’m asking you to take a step back and think about what will happen if this moment is lost,” Biden said.
“You can’t lose this moment. Endless war in pursuit of an unidentified idea of total victory will only bog down Gaza, draining economic, military and human resources and deepening Israel’s isolation from the world.”
In his remarks, Biden did not mention the establishment of Palestinian statehood, something he has repeatedly said is key to achieving long-term peace in the region. The US administration is also working towards normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the two biggest powers in the region. But the Saudis oppose any agreement that does not include concrete steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state.
Israel launched its war in Gaza after an October 7 attack by Hamas in which militants swept into southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and kidnapping about 250. Israel says about 100 hostages are still being held captive in Gaza, together with the bodies of about 30 more.
Ceasefire talks stalled at the start of the month after heavy pressure from the US and other mediators to reach a deal in hopes of averting a planned Israeli invasion of the southern town of Rafah.
The talks have been stymied by a major obstacle: Hamas is demanding guarantees that the war will end and Israeli troops will withdraw completely from Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages, a demand Israel rejects.
The outline of the new Israeli proposal is “almost identical to Hamas’ own proposals from a few weeks ago,” according to the Biden administration official.
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