U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday called on Hamas to agree to a new offer from Israel on releasing hostages in exchange for a Gaza cease-fire, saying this is the best way to begin winding down the deadly conflict.
"With a cease-fire, that aid could be safely and effectively distributed to all who need it," Biden said.
"As someone who's had a lifelong commitment to Israel, as the only American president who has ever gone to Israel at a time of war, as someone who just sent the U.S. forces to directly defend Israel when it was attacked by Iran, I ask you to take a step back, think what will happen if this moment is lost," he said. "We can't lose this moment. Israel has made their proposal. Hamas says it wants a cease-fire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it.”
Biden claimed that Hamas was “no longer capable” of carrying out another large-scale attack on Israel as the IDF confirmed on Friday that its forces are now operating in central parts of Rafah in its expanding offensive in the southern Gaza city.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Office said that Israel had authorized negotiators to present a Gaza truce deal after Biden revealed details of the three-phased cease-fire plan.
"The Israeli government is united in the desire to return our hostages as soon as possible and is working to achieve this goal," the statement said.
"Therefore, the prime minister has authorized the negotiating team to present an outline for achieving this goal, while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities."
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader in Gaza Yahaya Sinwar
(Photo: Dana Kopel, Reuters)
Meanwhile, The Hill news website reported Friday evening that U.S. congressional leaders on Friday invited Netanyahu to address a joint meeting of Congress. The report cited a letter to the Israeli premier which did not provide a date for the address.
Israeli officials confirmed to Ynet that Netanyahu has been invited to speak before Congress. Although a date for the speech has not yet been set, Republicans hope Netanyahu will speak before the August recess.
Hamas said it had a positive view of the contents of the proposal announced. "Hamas confirms its readiness to deal positively and in a constructive manner with any proposal that is based on the permanent cease-fire and the full withdrawal [of Israeli forces] from the Gaza Strip, the reconstruction [of Gaza], and the return of the displaced to their places, along with the fulfillment of a genuine prisoner swap deal if the occupation clearly announces commitment to such deal," the group said in a statement.
An earlier hostage proposal put forward earlier this year called for the release of sick, elderly and wounded hostages in Gaza in exchange for a six-week cease-fire that could be extended to allow for more humanitarian aid to be delivered into the enclave.
The proposed deal fell apart earlier this month after Israel refused to agree to a permanent end to the war as part of the negotiations and ramped up an assault on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Hamas said on Thursday it had told mediators it would not take part in more negotiations during ongoing aggression but was ready for a "complete agreement," including an exchange of hostages and prisoners if Israel stopped the war.
Talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar and others to arrange a cease-fire between Israel and the Islamist movement in the Gaza war have repeatedly stalled, with both sides blaming the other for the lack of progress.
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 the release of all the hostages, a demand Israel rejects.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan would meet on Friday with diplomats from 17 countries who have citizens held hostage in Gaza by Hamas.
Israel will not agree to any halt in fighting that is not part of a deal that includes the return of surviving hostages, a senior Israeli security official said on Friday.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday that recent Israeli ground operations in Rafah would not prompt a U.S. withdrawal of more military aid.
Hamas-controlled Palestinian health authorities estimate more than 36,280 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel attacked the enclave in response to an Oct. 7 Hamas assault in southern Israel. The Hamas attack killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.