U.S President, Joe Biden has hinted at the possibility of a new, temporary ceasefire in Gaza.
Joe Biden said he believes that a new, temporary ceasefire in Gaza is possible by next Monday, as Hamas was reportedly considering a draft agreement for a 40-day pause in fighting and the exchange of dozens of Israeli hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
“My National Security Adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet,” Biden told reporters during a visit to New York.
“My hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a ceasefire,” he added.
Biden also said Israel would be willing to temporarily halt its war during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan if a deal is reached to release some of the hostages.
“Ramadan’s coming up and there has been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out,” Biden said.
The mention of a potential pause in the hostilities during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan adds an extra layer of cultural sensitivity to the proceedings.
This statement serves as a poignant reminder of the power of cultural considerations in diplomacy – a recognition that goes beyond the conventional politicking and underlines the human element in the conflict.
Biden’s proposition of a temporary halt in the war during Ramadan carries the weight of a delicate balancing act.
It is akin to threading a needle, attempting to find a middle ground that allows for the release of hostages while respecting the religious observances of the Muslim community.
The plans reportedly included a 40-day pause in all military operations as well as the exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages at a ratio of 10 to one.
Under the ceasefire terms, hospitals and bakeries in Gaza would be repaired, 500 aid trucks would enter into the strip each day and thousands of tents and caravans would be delivered to house the displaced.
The draft also reportedly stated Hamas would free 40 Israeli hostages including women, children under 19, people over 50 and the sick, while Israel would release about 400 Palestinian prisoners and would not re-arrest them.
It would also reportedly allow the gradual return of displaced civilians to northern Gaza, except men of military age.
However, the road to a ceasefire is fraught with challenges, much like navigating a maze with unseen twists and turns.
The use of the word “temporary” underscores the fragility of the proposed truce, hinting at the underlying complexities that may threaten its sustainability.
U.S officials hope a multi-week pause in fighting could offer a path to ending the war.
However, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu stressed any truce deal would delay, not prevent, a ground invasion of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip.
“I’ve set three war goals. The first is to release the hostages. The second is to destroy Hamas. And the third is to ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future,” he said.
“Understand that unless we have total victory, we can’t have peace. We can’t leave Hamas in place,” he added.
Biden’s Gaza Position Less Popular Among Young Americans Than Nixon In Vietnam
According to Stephen Zunes, a Professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Francisco, Joe Biden is likely concerned about whether he is “going to still be President by this time next year” due to his handling of Israel’s war on Gaza.
“What’s striking is that his position on Gaza is even more unpopular among young Americans than these other Presidents including [Richard] Nixon and Vietnam. And so he has to be concerned about his legacy,” Zunes told a news agency.
Zunes said that while he believes Biden is still unwilling to “publicly threaten Netanyahu”, he believes he will be “quietly” making threats.
“Giving Netanyahu essentially everything he wants in the hopes that he will see reason is simply not working,” he stated.
“He has to exercise at least some of the enormous leverage the United States actually has,” he said.
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