OAN’s Brooke Mallory
4:54 PM – Friday, May 31, 2024
President Joe Biden says that Israel has sent another offer to Hamas that entails a brand-new ceasefire agreement.
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The rebuilding of residential neighborhoods and the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza would be part of the agreement.
“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 an 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 added.
The three-stage plan, according to a statement from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, “allows Israel to maintain these principles” and names “the return of all our abductees and the elimination of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities” as its primary objectives.
However, Israel’s war efforts will not stop “until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities,” according to Netanyahu’s office.
Phase 1: A complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza, the release of some hostages and some remains of hostages, Palestinian civilians can return to their homes in Gaza, and a surge in humanitarian aid.
Phase 2: A permanent end to hostilities, exchange for the release of remaining living hostages, and Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.
Phase 3: A major reconstruction plan is developed for Gaza and final remains of hostages are returned to their families.
“I’ll be straight with you: There are a number of details to negotiate to move from phase one to phase two,” Biden said.
Biden went on to claim that Hamas is unable to launch another deadly terrorist attack similar to the one that occurred on October 7th. However, he did not specify the reason.
Although, according to Sky News, the agreement was not reached “with the cooperation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” according to Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall. “Sources close to Netanyahu” have said that they do not “wholly recognize or agree with” the proposal that was announced by Biden on Friday, the outlet continued.
“The people of Israel should know they can make this offer without any further risk to their own security because they’ve devastated Hamas forces over the past eight months,” 81-year-old Biden said.
Days after the attacks on October 7th, Biden proclaimed himself to be a “Zionist” and traveled to Israel as a show of support. However, over the course of the war, Biden has begun consistently criticizing Netanyahu over civilian casualties in Gaza.
Britain’s secretary of state for foreign, commonwealth, and development affairs, David Cameron, supported Biden’s announcement.
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