President Joe Biden on Friday outlined terms of a potential new cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, just hours after Israeli forces moved into central parts of Rafah. The move widens Israel’s invasion of southern Gaza after seizing control of the entire border with Egypt earlier this week.
Quick Read
- President Joe Biden on Friday outlined terms of a potential new cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, hours after Israeli forces moved into central Rafah.
- Biden outlined a three-stage ceasefire deal including a six-week ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and a hostage-prisoner exchange, with no immediate response from Israeli or Hamas representatives.
- Biden said Friday that Hamas is “no longer capable” of carrying out another large-scale attack on Israel and urged both sides to agree on a deal to release remaining hostages for an extended cease-fire.
- Biden addressed the nearly 8-month-old Israel-Hamas war as the Israeli military confirmed its forces are now operating in central Rafah, expanding their offensive in the southern Gaza city.
- Biden emphasized the significance of this moment, discussing a three-phase deal proposed by Israeli officials to Hamas, highlighting it as an opportunity to prove their commitment to a cease-fire.
- Israel launched its war in Gaza following Hamas’ October 7 attack, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, and the abduction of about 250 people.
- Israel claims around 100 hostages remain captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of about 30 more.
- Cease-fire talks, initially pushed by the U.S. and other mediators, halted at the beginning of the month, aiming to prevent a planned Israeli invasion of Rafah.
- The main sticking point in the talks is Hamas’ demand for guarantees that the war will end and Israeli troops will completely withdraw from Gaza in exchange for the release of all hostages, a demand that Israel rejects.
- The move expands Israel’s invasion of southern Gaza after seizing control of the entire border with Egypt earlier this week.
- The offensive in Rafah, previously a main hub for humanitarian aid operations, has drastically reduced the flow of food, medicine, and other supplies to Palestinians.
- Israeli troops seized the Rafah crossing into Egypt on the first day of the offensive and initially focused on Rafah’s eastern districts and areas near the border.
- Israeli government spokesman David Mencer provided an update, stating the war with Hamas in Gaza is nearing the eight-month mark.
- Earlier this week, Israeli troops moved into Rafah’s western district of Tel al-Sultan, where heavy clashes with Hamas fighters were reported.
- The United States maintains that Israel’s operations have not crossed the “red lines” of a full-fledged invasion, which the Biden administration has urged against due to civilian risk.
- Rafah is a densely populated city in southern Gaza, critical for being the only crossing point between Gaza and Egypt.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized the goal to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities, identifying Rafah as Hamas’ last major stronghold in Gaza.
- Israeli troops in central Rafah uncovered Hamas rocket launchers, tunnels, and dismantled a weapons storage facility.
- World leaders oppose a wide operation in Rafah due to potential civilian casualties, threats to the Gaza-Egypt border, and collapse of aid operations crucial for Gaza’s population.
- The U.S. has urged Israel to conduct pinpoint operations against Hamas in Rafah without a major ground assault.
The Associated Press has the story:
Biden outlines cease-fire proposal after Israel expands ground offensive in Rafah
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
President Joe Biden on Friday outlined terms of a potential new cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas, just hours after Israeli forces moved into central parts of Rafah. The move widens Israel’s invasion of southern Gaza after seizing control of the entire border with Egypt earlier this week.
Biden announced that Israel has offered a “comprehensive new proposal” that provides a “roadmap” to a ceasefire in the war with Hamas in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by the terror group.
He said the proposal was transmitted by Qatar to Hamas and the first phase would last six weeks and include a “full and complete ceasefire with withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza” and “release of a number of hostages including women, the elderly, the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.”
Israel this week presented mediators with new ideas on the hostage and ceasefire talks, a diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations said on Tuesday, without expanding on what the new ideas were. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on securing the hostages’ release were paused three weeks ago without a deal after the sides could not come to an agreement on some of the terms.
Biden said that Hamas is “no longer capable” of carrying out another large-scale attack on Israel as he urged Israelis and Hamas to come to a deal to release remaining hostages for an extended cease-fire.
Biden addressed the nearly eight-month Israel-Hamas war as the Israeli military confirmed on Friday that its forces are now operating in central parts of Rafah in its expanding offensive in the southern Gaza city.
“This is truly a decisive moment,” Biden said as he spoke of a three-phase deal that Israeli officials have offered Hamas. “Israel has made their proposal. Hamas says it wants a cease-fire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it.”
Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted about 250. Israel says around 100 hostages are still captive in Gaza, along with the bodies of around 30 more.
Cease-fire talks ground to a halt at the beginning of the month after a major push by the U.S. and other mediators to secure a deal, in hopes of averting a planned Israeli invasion of the southern city of Rafah.
The talks were stymied by a central sticking point: Hamas demands guarantees that the war will end and Israeli troops will withdraw from Gaza completely in return for a release of all the hostages, a demand Israel rejects.
The offensive in Rafah, which was once the main hub of humanitarian aid operations for the Gaza Strip, has drastically cut off the flow of food, medicine and other supplies to Palestinians facing widespread hunger.
Israeli troops seized the Rafah crossing into Egypt on the first day of the offensive and, for its first weeks, the Israeli assault focused on Rafah’s eastern districts and in areas close to the border.
Israeli government spokesman gives update on war
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is nearing the eight-month mark. David Mencer provided the Israeli government update with the latest details.
Earlier this week, Israeli troops also moved into Rafah’s western district of Tel al-Sultan, where heavy clashes with Hamas fighters have been reported by witnesses.
Still, the United States says Israel’s operations have not crossed the “red lines” of a full-fledged invasion that the Biden administration has urged them against, citing the risk to civilians.
Instead, President Biden spoke Friday to outline a three-stage ceasefire deal that includes a six-week ceasefire, Israeli withdrawal, and a hostage-prisoner exchange. There was no immediate response from Israeli or Hamas representatives.
Where is Rafah?
About 1.4 million Palestinians — more than half of Gaza’s population — are jammed into the southern Gaza town and its surroundings.
They live in densely packed tent camps, overflowing U.N. shelters or crowded apartments, and are dependent on international aid for food, with sanitation systems and medical facilities infrastructure crippled.
The city is on the border with Egypt and is home to a key crossing for refugees and aid.
Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip and is the only crossing point between Gaza and Egypt.
Why is Rafah so critical?
Since Israel declared war in response to Hamas’ deadly cross-border attack on Oct. 7, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said a central goal is to destroy its military capabilities.
“We will enter Rafah because we have no other choice. We will destroy the Hamas battalions there, we will complete all the objectives of the war, including the return of all our hostages,” he said.
Israel says Rafah is Hamas’ last major stronghold in the Gaza Strip, after operations elsewhere dismantled 18 out of the militant group’s 24 battalions, according to the military.
Israeli troops in central Rafah uncovered Hamas rocket launchers and tunnels and dismantled a weapons storage facility, the army said Friday.
Why do world leaders oppose the move?
Smoke billows following Israeli bombardment as displaced Palestinians move in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 31, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas group.
Civilians from across Gaza have fled to the south to escape fighting. The U.S. has urged Israel not to carry out a wide operation without a “credible” plan to evacuate those civilians.
Egypt, a strategic partner of Israel, has said that an Israeli military seizure of the Gaza-Egypt border — which is supposed to be demilitarized — or any move to push Palestinians into Egypt would threaten its four-decade-old peace agreement with Israel.
Moreover, U.N. officials say an attack on Rafah will collapse the aid operation that is keeping the population across the Gaza Strip alive, and potentially push Palestinians into greater starvation and mass death.
The U.S. has said that Israel should use pinpoint operations against Hamas inside Rafah without a major ground assault.
