Israel-Hamas war: Biden presents new Gaza cease-fire offer

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promoted the new cease-fire proposal in separate phone calls with his Jordanian, Saudi and Turkish counterparts.

Blinken made the phone call during a flight back from a NATO meeting in Prague.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US diplomat "emphasized that Hamas should accept the deal without delay." 

Blinken "underscored that the proposal is in the interests of both Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the long-term security of the region," Miller said.

"We have a chance to end the war in Gaza, bring the hostages home, and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people with [the] cease-fire deal that is on the table," Blinken said on X, formerly Twitter.

The proposal was announced on Friday by US President Joe Biden, who said it was offered by Israel.

A cease-fire proposal announced by US President Joe Biden has been met with strong support, with some urging the Palestinian militant group Hamas to accept it.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres encouraged "all parties to seize this opportunity for a cease-fire," and called for the "release of all hostages, guaranteed unhindered humanitarian access and ultimately a durable peace in the Middle East."

"We have witnessed too much suffering & destruction in Gaza. It's time to stop," he said on X, formerly Twitter.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the proposal as "balanced and realistic" and a "significant opportunity to move toward an end to war and civilian suffering in Gaza."

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged Hamas to accept the 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."

"Let’s seize this moment and bring this conflict to an end," he said on X.

Hamas said in a Friday evening statement it was "positively" considering the proposal.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the US-announced proposal for a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas "provides a glimpse of hope and a possible path out of the war's deadlock."

"Seizing the opportunity for a humanitarian cease-fire, paving the way for a long-term truce, is more crucial than ever," she said.

"We have been tirelessly working with other countries for months to achieve this."

"We fully support the mediation efforts of the USA, Qatar and Egypt. It is now up to Hamas to prove their commitment to ending the conflict," Baerbock said.

The Hamas militant Islamist group said that it had a positive view of a cease-fire and hostage release deal proposal announced by US President Joe Biden.

Biden presented what he called a "comprehensive" deal that would be made up of three phases and ultimately lead to a permanent cessation of hostilities in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later confirmed he had authorized negotiators to present a truce roadmap but insisted that Israel would continue to work for the "elimination" of Hamas' military and administrative capabilities in Gaza.

"Hamas confirms its readiness to deal positively and in a constructive manner with any proposal that is based on the permanent cease-fire and the full withdrawal [of Israeli forces] from the Gaza Strip, the reconstruction [of Gaza], and the return of the displaced to their places, along with the fulfillment of a genuine prisoner swap deal if the occupation clearly announces commitment to such deal," Hamas said in a statement.

Earlier, Hamas had said that it told mediators it would not participate in negotiations during Israel's operations in the Gaza Strip but was ready for a "complete agreement" that included the release of hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the US and other countries.

DW's Jerusalem correspondent Tania Krämer said that the "ball is in Hamas' court" after US President Joe Biden announced that Israel had presented a "comprehensive" cease-fire and hostage release proposal.

However, Krämer pointed out that the stance of the militant Islamist group, designated as a terror organization by Israel, the US and several other countries, had "hardened in recent weeks, especially now with the offensive in Rafah."

Krämer said that Hamas had always called for a "complete cessation of hostilities" in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages.

She added that the proposal was "good news" for the families of hostages held by Hamas, and that Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi had previously said that the war could last until the end of the year. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the war against Hamas will not end until Israel eliminates the militant group's military capabilities and its ability to govern the Gaza Strip.

This comes after US President Joe Biden announced that Israel had presented a "comprehensive" cease-fire and hostage release deal that would include multiple phases that could ultimately lead to a permanent end to hostilities.

"The prime minister authorized the negotiating team to present an outline for achieving this goal, while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities," Netanyahu's office said.

US President Joe Biden said that Israel had offered a "comprehensive" new cease-fire and hostage release deal in the war with militant Islamist group Hamas.

Biden said that the first phase of the deal would last six weeks and would include a complete cease-fire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

He added that this would then allow Palestinians displaced since the start of the war on October 7 to return to their homes.

He said that this phase would include the release of some hostages by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

The US president said that this would be followed by a second phase in which Israel and Hamas would negotiate a permanent end to hostilities. He said that if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the cease-fire will remain in place as long as talks continue.

This phase would include the release of all remaining hostages.

The third phase of the deal would entail a major reconstruction effort in Gaza, Biden said.

He added that he understood that some in Israel will not like the deal but urged Israeli leadership to push forward regardless of any pressure. He warned that Israel could face further isolation from the world if it does not implement the deal.

"We can't lose this moment," he stressed.

"Israel has made their proposal. Hamas says it wants a cease-fire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it," Biden said. 

He added that Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another attack on Israel like that of October 7, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 240 were taken hostage.

He said that the US will also help forge a solution on the border with Lebanon, where Israel has engaged in hostilities with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. He said that Israel could be integrated into a regional security framework that would include normalization with Saudi Arabia.

The US president urged for Hamas to accept the deal with Israel and for the world to put pressure on the militant group to do so.

"If Hamas fails to fulfill its commitments under the deal, Israel can resume its military operations," he said. "Hamas needs to take the deal."

He said that Washington would also ensure that Israel lives up to its obligations.

"It's time for this war to end," Biden declared.

Israeli forces have ended operations in the town of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.

The statement comes after more than two weeks of fierce fighting in the area.

The military added that Israeli forces had killed hundreds of militants, seized large caches of weaponry and disabled 10 kilometers of tunnels run by the Hamas militant group.

IDF soldiers are operating in the center of the Gaza city of Rafah, Israeli officials confirmed on Friday.

The message comes after many Israeli allies, including the US, urged Israel to forego the attack on the city on humanitarian grounds.

A statement by the Israeli military said its forces discovered Hamas rocket launches and tunnels in the center of the city.

Israeli tanks were reported in various parts of Rafah earlier this week.

In the months following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, more than a million displaced Palestinians fled to Rafah, seeking refuge from fighting and shelling in other parts of Gaza.

US President Joe Biden recently threatened to limit weapons supplies to Israel if its forces move into "population centers" where many civilians are believed to still be hiding.

Despite international pressure Israel moved forward on its  Rafah offensive, claiming they were trying to defeat Hamas and reach Israeli hostages in the city.

On Wednesday, White House spokesman John Kirby had said Israeli actions did not amount to a "major ground operation" and therefore did not cross any red lines for Washington.

French officials have decided to ban Israel from the high-profile Eurosatory defense fair this year. 

"Following a decision by government authorities, there will not be an Israeli stand at the Eurosatory 2024 salon," a spokesperson for the organizers said via email.

The move comes as tensions grow between France and Israel over Israeli operations in Gaza, including reports of possible war crimes. Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" after some 45 displaced Gazans were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike. Israel has described the strike as a "tragic mistake" and said its initial findings showed that its own ammunition was not enough for the damage caused.

"Conditions are no longer met to host Israeli companies at the show at a time when the President is calling for Israel to cease operations in Rafah,"  the French defense ministry told Reuters.

 

After the US and the UK targeted Houthi rebel forces overnight, the Iran-backed militia threaten to escalate its attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

"The American-British aggression will not prevent us from continuing our military operations," Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on X, formerly Twitter, vowing to "meet escalation with escalation."

The Western airstrikes killed at least 16 civilians, according to the militia. On Friday, the faction said they retaliated by firing missiles at the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier which had been deployed to beef up naval security in the region.

The Houthi militia claimed its missiles scored "precise and direct" hits on the US vessel. 

A US defense official, however, told the Reuters news agency they were not aware of any attack against the Eisenhower.

dj/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)