Israel has offered ceasefire and hostage proposal to Hamas, says Biden - Sky News

Israel has offered a comprehensive new ceasefire deal to Hamas, according to US President Joe Biden.

The deal would involve the return of Israeli hostages from Gaza and the reconstruction of civilian areas.

Mr Biden urged Hamas and prominent figures in Israel not to "lose this moment" after ceasefire talks ground to a halt at the start of the month when Israel refused a permanent end to the war and ramped up its assault on the city of Rafah.

"Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and work to make it real. It's time for this war to end," the president said during a surprise address at the White House on Friday.

"Israel has made their proposal. Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it," he told the news conference.

The office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said its main goals are "the return of all our abductees and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities", with a statement claiming the three-stage proposal "allows Israel to maintain these principles".

Image: Palestinians after Israeli forces withdrew from Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp. Pic: Reuters

Three-phase plan

The first phase of the proposed deal would be a ceasefire lasting six weeks, during which Israel and Hamas would negotiate a permanent end to the fighting in Gaza, Mr Biden said.

If the negotiations take longer than six weeks, the ceasefire would continue for as long as it takes to strike a deal, he added.

Phase two would involve Hamas handing over the remaining 100 hostages and Israel withdrawing all of its forces from Gaza.

The final phase would be about a "major reconstruction plan" for Gaza, according to the president.

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Mr Biden claimed Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another attack like the one on 7 October.

Sky Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall says he has been told the deal has not been made "with the cooperation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu".

"Sources close to Mr Netanyahu" have told him they do not "wholly recognise or agree with" the proposal outlined by Mr Biden on Friday.

Biden has run out of patience with Netanyahu

If Joe Biden's statement tonight was co-ordinated with the Israeli government, it's unclear who with.

One source close to the Israeli PM told me the US president had "all but killed a deal", while another said that the two leaders hadn't spoken ahead of it.

So what's happening then?

I think Washington has run out of patience with Netanyahu. Whilst they have publicly supported recent Israeli manoeuvres inside Rafah, or at least not criticised them, Netanyahu's decision to crack on was a clear snub to the White House, who had repeatedly warned against such action.

Can it be a coincidence Biden's statement came a day after Israel had taken control of the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt and on the same day Israeli troops officially entered central Rafah city?

We should also note the international outrage following the killing of 45 people in Rafah last Sunday, the break-up of the much-anticipated US naval pier under rough seas after delivering little aid, and negotiations to reopen the Rafah crossing making little progress.

'Big moment'

Sky US correspondent Mark Stone, however, describes the announcement as a "big moment", saying it "feels significant" compared with other similar ones in the past.

It was only on Thursday that Hamas told mediators Egypt and Qatar that it would not take part in future negotiations as long as the Israeli assault on Gaza continued.

The group said it was prepared for a "complete agreement", including hostage exchanges, if Israel stopped the war from its side.

UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron said in a tweet late on Friday: "With a new hostage agreement on the table, Hamas must accept this deal so we can see a stop in the fighting, the hostages released and returned to their families and a flood of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

"As we've long argued a stop in the fighting can be turned into a permanent peace if we are all prepared to take the right steps. Let's seize this moment and bring this conflict to an end."

Mr Biden's announcement comes after widespread condemnation of an Israeli airstrike on Rafah last Sunday, which killed at least 45 displaced Palestinians living in tents.

Distressing images of burned-out tents and bodies being pulled from wreckage have been shared around the world on social media, with the caption 'all eyes on Rafah'.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labelled the strike a "tragic mistake", while a spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said much of the destruction was caused by a subsequent fire that could not have been solely ignited by the type of munitions used.

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2024-05-31 20:48:45Z
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