Israel-Hamas war: Biden proposes 3-phase hostage deal aimed at ending war

Washington: President Joe Biden unveiled a three-phase plan on Friday that he claims might put an end to the nearly eight-month-old Middle East conflict and result in the release of the last hostages in Gaza.

As he urged Israelis and Hamas to reach an agreement to free the remaining hostages in exchange for an extended ceasefire, Biden also stated that Hamas is "no longer capable" of launching another significant attack on Israel.

Calling the plan "a road map to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages," the Democratic president made his comments from the White House.

According to Biden, the first phase of the proposed agreement would entail a "full and complete ceasefire," the evacuation of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, and the injured, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners,

The first phase of the agreement would last for six weeks. At this point, American captives would be released, and the families of the hostages who had died would receive the bodies of their loved ones. In the first phase, 600 trucks would be permitted into Gaza each day, resulting in a spike in humanitarian goods, AP reported.

The second phase would see Israeli forces evacuate Gaza and release of all surviving hostages, including male soldiers.

“And as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments, the temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposals, ‘the cessation of hostilities permanently,’” Biden said.

In the third phase, a significant reconstruction of Gaza is to begin, as the war's devastation will take decades to heal. However, Biden conceded that it would be challenging to keep the agreement on course, stating that there are several "details to negotiate" in order to advance from the first to the second phase. Biden's statements coincided with the Israeli military's affirmation that its soldiers are currently conducting operations in central Rafah as part of their ongoing attack in the southern Gaza city. Biden called it “a truly a decisive moment.”

He continued by saying that Hamas has stated its desire for a truce and that an Israeli-phased agreement offers a chance to demonstrate "whether they really mean it."

Israel's policy of strategic destruction in Gaza, which has resulted in a significant loss of civilian life, has drawn increasing criticism from across the globe. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israeli ground offensives and bombardments in the besieged enclave, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

After a significant push by the US and other mediators to secure a settlement, in the hopes of preventing an Israeli invasion of the southern city of Rafah, ceasefire talks came to an abrupt end at the beginning of the month.

The negotiations were halted by a fundamental issue: Israel rejects Hamas' demand that all hostages be released in exchange for guarantees that the war will cease and Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza entirely.