Friday's speech was Biden's first public comment on the war since June 2019. Israeli attack A fire on Sunday killed at least 45 people, including children, and injured 249 in a camp for displaced persons, according to Gaza health officials. Visual analysis of the New York Times The investigation found that Israel used American-made bombs in the attacks, forcing the White House to confront difficult questions about U.S. responsibility for the rising death toll.
Biden said Friday he had seen “horrific images” of the deadly fire.
After describing the pain of Palestinians whose loved ones were “massacred by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7,” and the “sorrow” of Israeli families awaiting the release of hostages, Biden said: “The Palestinian people have been through unmitigated hell in this war.”
Biden also said too many innocent people had been killed in Gaza, “including thousands of children,” and addressed the many Americans angry about his government's handling of the conflict.
Biden added: “I know that the people of this country feel deeply passionately about this issue. So do I. This is one of the most difficult and complex issues in the world. This is not going to be easy.”
Describing the four-and-a-half-page Israeli proposal, Biden said it would be divided into three phases. The first phase would begin with a roughly six-week ceasefire, with Israeli troops withdrawing from densely populated areas of Gaza and releasing elderly and female hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Biden said there were still some details that needed to be negotiated before moving to the next phase – apparently including how many Palestinians would be freed for each Israeli hostage released.
After Biden spoke, a senior administration official briefed reporters that in the second phase, all remaining Israeli hostages will be released, including male soldiers. The official said all hostilities will end and all Israeli troops will withdraw from Gaza. In the past, Netanyahu has publicly rejected a full withdrawal, insisting it would lead to a resurgence of Hamas and control of the region again.
It was unclear from the description given to reporters at the briefing who would govern the territory, though the United States has said in the past that the most likely option would be the Palestinian Authority, which has struggled to govern the West Bank.
The third phase, which would have involved exchanging the bodies of the hostages, clearing the rubble and beginning a three- to five-year reconstruction period with support from the United States, Europe and international agencies, sounds almost fanciful given the extent of the devastation and near-famine conditions.
However, Mr Biden believes the roadmap is reasonable as long as the terrorist group agrees. “As long as Hamas fulfills its commitments, the temporary ceasefire will become the permanent ceasefire proposed by Israel,” Mr Biden said.
U.S. officials said they believed Israel had made significant concessions in hostage talks, including reducing the number of hostages it demanded be released in the early stages, following a meeting in Paris last weekend between CIA Director William Burns and David Baniya, the head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.
However, one person with knowledge of the situation said the talks were “on hold” during the Israeli operation in Rafah.
Mr. Biden also was involved in the hostage negotiations, though he did not attend any of the negotiating sessions. Officials said Mr. Biden’s role was most notable in pressuring Mr. Netanyahu to continue negotiating and to reduce Israel’s demands.
But on Friday, Biden clearly focused on Hamas, arguing that accepting the offer was their best chance to end the war and move toward a ceasefire.
“Now it's time for all those who want peace to speak up,” Biden said, adding that the public should let Hamas leaders “know that they should take this deal. Work to make it a reality, make it lasting, and create a better future in the midst of this tragic terrorist attack and war.”
Alan Boxman Reporting from Jerusalem, Julian E. Barnes From Washington.
