Biden's peace push: Israel accepts ceasefire plan, uncertainties remain
"The time has come to end this war," declared Joe Biden as he presented a new ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas. The British "Sunday Times" reports that Tel Aviv has accepted the proposal of the President of the United States, although it does not consider it "a good solution."
Joe Biden is pushing for peace in Gaza, and commentators point out that this is driven, among other things, by the upcoming presidential elections in the USA. Recently, protests have erupted on university campuses in the United States against Israel's retaliatory actions for the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which are being called revenge rather than an act of self-defense.
The war is also causing serious disruptions in global trade. This includes attacks by Yemeni Houthi fighters on ships sailing through the Red Sea. As a result, traffic on this shortest - and crucial - shipping route linking Europe and Asia has almost come to a halt. Shipowners, for safety reasons, are taking a longer route around Africa, causing transport costs to skyrocket. The crisis in the Middle East is also affecting oil prices on world markets, with a so-called risk premium being added.
Mediators, mainly the USA and Egypt, are making strenuous efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, even if only temporary. Despite one break, no ceasefire has occurred, and the issue seems to hinge on the number of hostages the Palestinian organization will release for Tel Aviv to agree to withdraw its troops, which are currently attacking Rafah. However, there is new hope for stopping the bloody fighting, which has cost the lives of over 36,000 residents of the Gaza Strip.
Three stages of the peace agreement in Gaza
Joe Biden presented the ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas on Saturday. The advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on June 2 in an interview with the British "Sunday Times" that the Israeli government has accepted the framework agreement aimed at ending the war in the Gaza Strip. However, "it is not a good solution" and requires refinement.
Reuters reports that Hamas has welcomed the US President's proposal, giving hope for an agreement. "Biden's speech contained positive ideas," stated Osama Hamdan, the spokesperson for Hamas, "but we want them to materialize within a comprehensive agreement that meets our demands."
The first phase of Biden's agreement, according to the Egyptian "Ahram," is to begin after the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all densely populated areas of Gaza and the release of a specific number of prisoners, including women, the elderly, and the wounded. In exchange, Israel is to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in detention.
"The second phase would involve the release of all remaining living prisoners, including soldiers, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza," writes the Egyptian daily. The third stage of the agreement concerns the reconstruction of the enclave.
However, Israel emphasizes that it will not give up on the plan to "destroy Hamas as a genocidal terrorist organization," reports Reuters, casting a shadow on the chances of ending the conflict. The attack on October 7 killed 1,200 people, and over 250 were taken hostage.
