Biden offers three-part plan to end Gaza genocide

US President Joe Biden has presented an Israeli proposal to end the genocide in Gaza. Unveiled during a speech at the White House on Friday, it comes amidst rapidly increasing casualties in the region. [1]

Contents

What exactly has been proposed?Accept ceasefire plan or continue with no aid Hamas has responded positively to the proposal Catastrophic situation only getting worse Analysis Also read Also watch

The three-part plan entails a six-week ceasefire, a significant increase in humanitarian assistance, and the exchange of Israeli prisoners for Palestinians.

Addressing the media, President Biden stressed the need for immediate action, stating — with the incorrect framing of “war”,

“It’s time for this war to end.” [1]

The US leader called upon resistance organisation Hamas to accept the proposal as a key step towards resolving the crisis, claiming,

“This is truly a decisive moment.” [1]

What exactly has been proposed?

The first phase of the plan involves a comprehensive ceasefire, and the withdrawal of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from populated areas in Gaza. It also calls for the exchange of Israeli prisoners of war for Palestinian equivalents. [1]

In the subsequent phase, all remaining prisoners, including male soldiers, would be returned. The ceasefire would subsequently transform into a permanent cessation of hostilities.

The third phase of the plan aims to return the final remains of any deceased Israeli prisoners and implement a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza, which is in total ruins.

This stage of the plan would involve the collaboration of the United States and international partners to rebuild homes, schools, and hospitals.

Accept ceasefire plan or continue with no aid

In his Friday speech, Biden also highlighted that the ceasefire would enable the provision of essential humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including a daily shipment of 600 trucks to the beleaguered territory. [1]

Among international players, the UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and UN Secretary-General António Guterres have been quick to endorse the Biden proposal.

Both dignitaries stressed the importance of all parties grasping the chance for a ceasefire and laying the foundation for a long-lasting peace in the Middle East.

Lord Cameron stated in a social media post,

“We’ve long argued a stop in the fighting can be turned into a permanent peace if we are all prepared to take the right steps.

“Let’s seize this moment and bring this conflict to an end.” [2]

Guterres said in an X post on Friday,

“We have witnessed too much suffering and destruction in Gaza. It’s time to stop.

“I welcome Biden’s initiative and encourage all parties to seize this opportunity for a ceasefire, release of all hostages, guaranteed unhindered humanitarian access, and ultimately a durable peace in the Middle East.” [3]

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that the “war” will not end until its objectives are achieved, including the return of all prisoners, and the elimination of Hamas military capabilities. [4]

In a highly unusual move, the apartheid state’s leader chose Saturday (the Sabbath — the Jewish day of religious observance and a break from work) to respond to Biden’s proposal:

“Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed:

“The destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.” [5]

Hamas has responded positively to the proposal

The Palestinian resistance organisation and political party Hamas has expressed optimism because of the plan’s call for a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the exchange of prisoners. [5]

However, officials have raised concerns about the absence of guarantees regarding the end of the conflict and the complete withdrawal of IDF troops from occupied Gaza. [5]

In the US, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has contacted his counterparts in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to garner broader support for the proposal. He has urged all countries with ties to Hamas to exert pressure on the organisation to accept the deal without delay. [6]

Catastrophic situation only getting worse

President Biden’s diplomatic push comes amidst growing domestic criticism over US support for Israel and calls for a more proactive approach to resolving the crisis.

However, the White House has claimed that recent Israeli operations in Rafah do not constitute a major ground operation that would prompt a shift in US policy. [7]

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 36,280 people have been killed in Gaza since October. [1]

Additionally, the United Nations has said that over a million people are experiencing severe levels of hunger, leading to a “catastrophic” situation in Gaza. [8]

Analysis

ANALYSIS

Shaheer Choudhury

Head of Editorial

What is new in this proposal?

The US President announced a seemingly new ceasefire deal on Friday.

We can say 'seemingly', because it has many hallmarks of a Qatari-Egyptian plan that was proposed in early May. And this was accepted by the Palestinian resistance organisation Hamas at the time.

Indeed, the May plan also had three phases, also promised the return of prisoners of war, also mentioned the withdrawal of occupation troops, and also spoke about allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Biden unable to bide his time

Given the similarities with the May proposal, it seems probable that Biden is trying to do all he can to end this genocide in hope of securing more voters in the upcoming November presidential election.

Faced with the prospect of a 2016 re-run against likely Republican nominee Donald Trump, the 80-year-old Biden is certainly more likely to be focused on his continued White House residency, than the affairs of our Palestinian brothers and sisters.

Despite Biden's proposal appearing to be an exercise in plagiarism, and one that was apparently led by the Zionist state in the first place — which again begs the question of why they did not entertain the May peace plan — Hamas has already responded positively to it.

Always remember the scale of the situation

Regardless of the political considerations and reasoning behind Biden's timing, we cannot forget that this genocide has far exceeded any recent conflict in many decades.

People are continuing to die because of Zionist regime controls over Gaza's borders, through withholding and even destroying aid through the support of illegal settlers attacking aid trucks, and many hundreds of thousands have been internally displaced.

These same people are now being told to leave their land and enter into neighbouring Arab countries.

Can any of us imagine if that was us? Being bombed and told to go to a so-called safe place, only to then be bombed in that new place, and then for the cycle to repeat many times over?

And after all is said and done, we are told,

'Sorry, you cannot return to your home and rebuild; you must now leave your country which, by the way, is now ours.'