Biden backs Israeli plan for Gaza ceasefire amidst internal dissent
President Joe Biden of the United States announced on Friday a three-stage plan presented by Israel to ultimately end the conflict. This plan includes a ceasefire and the withdrawal of troops from civilian-populated areas of Gaza. However, Biden noted that not everyone in the Israeli government wants to end the war.
During his appearance at the White House, Joe Biden detailed the complex proposal from Israel.
In the first phase of the plan, a six-week ceasefire, withdrawal of troops from civilian-populated areas in the Gaza Strip, and the release of hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are planned. In subsequent stages, the plan aims for the permanent end of the conflict, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the release of all remaining hostages.
Biden emphasized that within the Israeli government, there are individuals opposed to ending the war. Therefore, he called on the leaders of Israel to adhere to the presented plan and take actions aimed at ending the conflict.
War in the Gaza Strip
On 24 May, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt operations in Rafah and to open the border crossing to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Despite the ICJ's decision, Netanyahu announced that Israel will not relent in its war efforts until the objectives of the operation in the Gaza Strip are achieved: rescuing the hostages and destroying Hamas, which, for the first time since January, launched a series of rockets from the Rafah area towards Tel Aviv on Sunday. Israeli authorities believe that of the remaining 121 hostages in the Gaza Strip, at least 37 are dead.
Israel began the war with Hamas after the massacre on 7 October, during which Palestinian terrorists attacked kibbutzim and military positions in southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 252 individuals. As a result of Israel's retaliatory operation in the Gaza Strip, around 36,000 Palestinians have died, and 80,000 have been injured since then.
