Biden presents Israeli plan to end Gaza war

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US President Joe Biden said at the presentation of a “roadmap for a permanent ceasefire” at the White House that Hamas was “no longer capable” of carrying out another large-scale attack on Israel.

The ceasefire agreement proposed by Israel to Hamas consists of three phases and could end the devastating eight-month war in the Gaza Strip.

“This is really a defining moment. Israel has made its proposal. Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it. Hamas must accept the deal,” Biden said at the White House.

Biden said the first phase of the proposed agreement would last six weeks and would include a “complete and comprehensive ceasefire,” a 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 exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

The second phase would involve the release of all surviving hostages, including male soldiers, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

And the third phase envisages the beginning of a comprehensive reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which faces decades of recovery after the destruction caused by the war.

“It is time to begin this new phase. The hostages must come home. Israel must find safety and the suffering must stop. It is time to end this war. The day after must begin,” Biden said.

In a statement, Hamas responded positively to the agreement and said it was ready to engage “in a constructive manner” with any proposal based on a permanent end to the fighting.

However, Biden acknowledged that keeping the Israeli proposal on track would be difficult, saying there were a number of “details to negotiate” to move from phase one to phase two.

One obstacle that needs to be overcome in the first phase is that both sides must agree on a ratio of hostages to prisoners to be released.

There was also a positive response to the ceasefire agreement in Brussels. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell posted on X that he supported efforts to achieve “a lasting ceasefire and the release of hostages, leading to a permanent cessation of hostilities.”

And EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she “fully” agreed with the proposal and called it “balanced and realistic”.

Biden’s comments come after the Israeli military confirmed that its forces are currently operating in central parts of Rafah as part of their expanded offensive in southern Gaza City.

This offensive caused around 900,000 Palestinians to flee Rafah and seek safer areas elsewhere in the Gaza Strip.

The World Food Programme’s Country Director in Palestine, Matthew Hollingworth, described it as a “horrific experience” for the Palestinians, many of whom have already been displaced several times.

“What we need, of course, is an immediate ceasefire,” he said. “We absolutely have to help people to move beyond their everyday lives. That also means that the hostages must be released. There can be no excuse for this war and no justification for its continuation.”

According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, the total death toll in Gaza since October 7 is now 36,224, with officials making no distinction between civilians and combatants.