Three days after President Joe Biden announced Israel’s new Gaza ceasefire proposal with Hamas, he engaged in a crucial conversation with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Tuesday. Biden urged the Emir to utilize all possible measures to ensure Hamas’ agreement to the deal, emphasizing its potential to resolve the Gaza crisis.
President Biden expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Tamim and his team for their relentless efforts to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. “Today, I spoke with Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar to discuss how the ceasefire and hostage deal offers a concrete roadmap for ending the crisis in Gaza. I urged Amir Tamim to use all appropriate measures to secure Hamas’ acceptance of the deal and thanked him and his team for their tireless efforts to secure the release of all hostages held in Gaza,” Biden shared in a post on X. He added, “The United States, together with Egypt and Qatar, will work to ensure the full implementation of this agreement.”
On Friday, President Biden revealed that Israel had proposed a “comprehensive new proposal” aimed at achieving a Gaza ceasefire and securing the release of all hostages held by Hamas, according to CNN. This proposal, conveyed by Qatar to Hamas, outlines a detailed “roadmap” towards a ceasefire. The initial six-week phase involves a “full and complete ceasefire with the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza” and the “release of a number of hostages including women, the elderly, and the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.”
This development follows Israel’s introduction of new ideas concerning hostage and ceasefire negotiations earlier in the week, as reported by a diplomatic source familiar with the negotiations. The source did not provide specific details about these new ideas. Direct talks between Israel and Hamas regarding the release of hostages had been suspended three weeks ago due to disagreements over certain terms.
Despite the ongoing negotiations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that the conflict will continue until Hamas is completely eradicated.
