Biden lays out 3-phase cease-fire plan to end Gaza war

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Friday laid out a three-phase plan put forward by Israel to end the eight-month war in Gaza, urging Hamas to agree to what he described as a “comprehensive new proposal.”

“It’s time for this war to end, for the day after to begin,” Biden said, adding that Hamas was no longer capable of carrying out another Oct. 7. 

In an address from the White House, Biden said the plan starts with the two sides observing a “full and complete cease-fire” for six weeks and Israel withdrawing its forces from populated areas of Gaza.

Hamas would free the women, elderly and wounded hostages it’s still holding in return for Israel’s release of hundreds of Palestinians held in its jails. The proposal calls for a surge in humanitarian assistance, with 600 aid trucks entering the Palestinian enclave daily.

Biden described phase two as a “permanent end to hostilities,” with Israel fully withdrawing from Gaza and Hamas releasing all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers. 

“I'll be straight with you. There are a number of details to negotiate to move from phase one to phase two. Israel will want to make sure its interests are protected,” Biden said. 

A major reconstruction plan for Gaza would begin in phase three, and the militant group would return the remains of the hostages who died in captivity. 

The four-and-a-half page agreement has been relayed to Hamas via Qatar, which along with Egypt has been one of the primary mediators in the monthslong negotiations. 

In a statement Friday evening local time, the Israeli prime minister’s office said the phased proposal would meet Israel’s objectives, including the return of the hostages and “the neutralization of Hamas' military and governance capabilities."

A senior administration official briefing reporters after Biden’s remarks said the onus is now on Hamas to agree to a proposal “nearly identical” to a version it accepted several weeks ago.

“Alternatively, if its leaders choose to live deep underground, holding innocent hostages, including women, as the war goes on and people's Gaza suffer, that would be their choice,” the official said. 

Hamas issued a statement Friday saying it viewed Biden’s remarks “positively.”

The group said it “confirms its position of readiness to deal positively and constructively with any proposal based on a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, the return of the displaced people to all their places of residence, and the completion of a serious prisoner exchange deal if the occupation declares its sincere commitment to that.”

The latest proposal comes as the Israeli military moves deeper into Rafah in defiance of the United Nations’ top court ordering it to cease military operations in the crowded city. The UN estimates roughly 1 million people have been forced to flee since Israel began its ground operations in Rafah over three weeks ago.

Biden described the deal on the table as one that would lead to calm along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. He also touted the potential for a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia that US officials have said hinges on Israel’s acceptance of a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.

Biden urged Israel’s leaders to endorse the deal before the moment is lost.

“I know there are those in Israel who will not agree with this plan and will call for the war to continue indefinitely. Some are even in the government coalition," Biden said. “They've made it clear they want to occupy Gaza. They want to keep fighting for years, and the hostages are not a priority to them.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously called for Israel to retain indefinite military control of Gaza when the war ends. The Biden administration has warned Israel risks fueling a Hamas insurgency without a credible plan for Gaza’s governance and security.

This developing story has been updated since first publication.