Biden Calls for End of War, Netanyahu Calls Deal ‘Non-Starter’ Unless Conditions Met
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – On Friday, US President Joe Biden urged Israel to accept a three-part ceasefire and hostage deal, declaring, “It’s time for this war to end.” However, on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated there would be no “permanent ceasefire” in Gaza until Hamas’s military and governing capabilities were destroyed.
In a speech from the White House on Friday, Biden unveiled “a roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages,” resulting from intensive U.S. diplomacy with leaders from Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries. Biden stated that Israel had proposed a three-phase deal for a ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for Hamas releasing hostages and urged both the terror group and the Israeli government to support it.
The first phase of the ceasefire would require the release of women, elderly, wounded, and ill hostages, as well as the bodies of deceased hostages. This phase would also allow Palestinians in the north to return, a condition Israel had previously resisted due to concerns that it would enable Hamas to regroup.
The second phase of the deal would involve the release of the remaining hostages, including male soldiers, and the withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza. Biden commented on this phase, saying, “As long as Hamas lives up to its commitments, a temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal, a cessation of hostilities permanently.”
The third phase would introduce “a major reconstruction plan for Gaza” and include the release of the remaining bodies of Israeli hostages.
Netanyahu responded to US President Joe Biden’s announcement on Friday with a rare statement published on the Sabbath and only in English, stating, “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed: The destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”
“Israel will continue to insist these conditions are met before a permanent ceasefire is put in place. The notion that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter,” Netanyahu added.
Biden insisted that it was time for the war to end, stating that Israel has “devastated Hamas’s [forces] over the past eight months. At this point, Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another October 7.” He added, “This was one of Israel’s main objectives in this war — and quite frankly, a righteous one.”
“The war in Gaza must end,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in both Hebrew and Arabic on social media. He also supported Biden’s plan, describing it as “the release of hostages, a sustainable ceasefire to work for peace, and promote a two-state solution.”
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen also expressed support for the proposal. “I wholeheartedly agree with Biden that the latest proposal is a significant opportunity to move toward an end to war and civilian suffering in Gaza. This three-step approach is balanced and realistic. It now needs support from all parties,” the European Commission president said on social media.
However, critics of Biden’s “peace plan” argue that the White House fails to understand that Hamas is unlikely to release the remaining hostages, as they are their only leverage. Critics suggest that the only other option would be to grant Hamas leaders immunity and some form of safe conduct, potentially including them in future Palestinian politics.
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