In a joint statement Saturday, the United States, Qatar and Egypt, which together have mediated the negotiations, called on Israel and Hamas to “finalize the agreement,” saying the proposed deal “offers a roadmap for a permanent ceasefire and ending the crisis.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also all publicly expressed support for the deal, as did top diplomats in Britain and Germany, both close allies of Israel….
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As outlined by Biden, the three-stage plan would begin with a six-week cease-fire and the release of women and child hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal from populated areas of Gaza and a surge of aid trucks into the territory.
Negotiations would then start over the second phase for a permanent end to fighting and full Israeli withdrawal, along with the release of all remaining hostages. Phase three would focus on reconstruction and the establishment of a Palestinian government that excludes Hamas, which ruled Gaza for 16 years.
Netanyahu’s office on Friday said the government was “united in its desire to return the hostages as soon as possible” and that its proposal “would also enable Israel to continue the war until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.”
But in a follow-up statement Saturday, his office emphasized that Israel would not “agree to a permanent ceasefire” until its goals were achieved and “Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel,” adding that any suggestions otherwise were “a non-starter.”…
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Israeli, Egyptian and U.S. officials are expected to meet in Cairo on Sunday to discuss reopening the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, according to Egyptian state media and an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive subject. The Rafah crossing has been a key conduit to get desperately needed humanitarian assistance into the enclave and to allow sick and wounded Palestinians to flee. The crossing has been closed since Israel captured it in early May at the beginning of its offensive in Rafah, which is in southern Gaza.
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World leaders and officials from the United Nations, the European Union, Britain, France and others have welcomed a cease-fire proposal laid out by President Biden. Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said on Saturday that the plan was an “unbelievably urgent hope for a lasting peace in the Middle East.”
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Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke about the proposal on Friday with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan. He stressed to the Saudi foreign minister that “the proposal benefits both Israelis and Palestinians and should be accepted,” the State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said on social media….
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Protesters in Tel Aviv and around the world Saturday called on Israeli leaders to accept the latest road map for a cease-fire and the return of hostages in Gaza, a day after President Biden said it was time for the war to end.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum in Israel said it waslaunching “an emergency operation” to pressure members of the government to accept the declaration outlined by President Biden on Friday. The plan would begin with an immediate, temporary cease-fire and work toward the return of all hostages, a permanent end to the war and the reconstruction of Gaza.
“The Forum demands the return of all the hostages, some for rehabilitation and others for burial, and not to miss the opportunity that has arisen to bring them home,” the group said in a statement on social media.
The group demanded an “immediate approval of the deal,” the statement said, adding, “Don’t lose this moment!”
Mr. Netanyahu was still calling for the complete destruction of Hamas and the freeing of all hostages before ending the war. And two of Mr. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners — Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir — threatened to quit his government should he move forward with the proposal….
Jun 1, 2024 – ISW Press
The IDF Air Force has killed three Hamas officials in the central Gaza Strip over the past week. Israeli forces continued clearing operations in Rafah.