Biden suggests cease-fire plan to end war

U.S. President Joe Biden presented a ‘three-step negotiation plan’ to end the war between Israel and Hamas. Hamas is known to have responded positively to the possibility of Israeli troops entering the center of Rafah, while Israel opposed it, saying, “The war will only end when Hamas is eliminated.”

President Biden presented a negotiation plan on Friday to end the war, saying that “Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out attacks seen on Oct. 7 last year. It is time to end the war.”

According to this negotiation plan, the first phase will last six weeks. The Israeli army will first withdraw from populated areas in the Gaza Strip, with Hamas to partially release hostages, including women and seniors. During this period, both sides will negotiate to end hostilities ‘permanently.’ In the second stage, Hamas will release all hostages, and the Israeli military completely withdraws from the Gaza Strip. The third phase focuses on rebuilding the Gaza Strip for Palestinian residents.

Hamas announced that it is willing to constructively consider the plan if the occupying power (Israel) clearly states that it will commit to the agreement. The Wall Street Journal quoted officials close to Hamas military leader Yahya Sinwar as saying, “Hamas will engage in negotiations if its survival as a political force is guaranteed.”

Meanwhile, Israel, initially agreeing to publish the negotiation plan, immediately changed its attitude after the announcement. "The war will continue until every one of our missions is achieved, including the complete elimination of Hamas' military and governance capabilities," announced the Israeli Prime Minister’s office. This is seen as due to strong opposition within the far-right coalition government, which is the political foundation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The war may continue due to the differing political situations between Netanyahu and Sinwar,” reported the Wall Street Journal.


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