Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid has urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to heed U.S President, Joe Biden’s call for a Gaza truce.
In an X post, Lapid stated that the Israeli government cannot ignore President Biden’s “significant speech.”
“There is a deal on the table and it needs to be done,” he wrote.
“I remind Netanyahu that he has a security network from us for the hostage deal if Ben-Gvir and Smotrich leave the government,” Lapid added.
The deal presented by Biden offers a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in return for the release of all hostages and the long-term reconstruction of the shattered coastal strip.
Although the terms of the new deal were set out by Biden, he repeatedly described it as an Israeli proposal.
The US President said that the three-stage offer would begin with a six-week phase that would see Israeli forces withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza.
It would also see the “release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, the wounded, in exchange for (the) release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners,” Biden said.
Hamas indicated that it is open to the proposal, raising hopes of a halt to Israel’s eight-month war.
In a statement, the group said it “reaffirms its readiness to positively engage and cooperate with any proposal based on the foundation of a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, the return of displaced people to their homes, and the completion of a genuine prisoner exchange deal, provided that the occupation announces its explicit commitment to this”.
The families of some Israeli hostages held by Hamas called for all parties to immediately accept the ceasefire proposal outlined by Biden.
Many hostage families say that the Israeli government has delayed reaching a hostage deal, something they say has cost lives.
Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hanke Bruins Slot commended the ceasefire plan presented by Biden, saying, “The Netherlands supports the efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt in mediating this plan.”
The Minister added, “It is imperative to ultimately work towards a two-state solution, the most effective path to achieving sustainable, lasting peace.”
French President, Emmanuel Macron also backed Biden’s ceasefire proposal, saying that he is working with France’s partners in the region for “peace and security for all.”
“The release of the hostages, a permanent ceasefire to work towards peace and progress on the two-state solution,” Macron wrote on X.
However, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, insisted that Hamas’s destruction and said Israel’s conditions for ending the war in Gaza remain unchanged.
In a statement issued on Saturday, June 1, 2024, Netanyahu said, “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed.”
He went on to list the conditions as “the destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”
“Under the proposal, Israel will continue to insist these conditions are met before a permanent ceasefire is put in place. The notion that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter.”
Benjamin Netanyahu
US, Egyptian And Israeli Officials To Discuss Rafah Crossing Reopening
Meanwhile, a meeting between US, Egyptian and Israeli officials is scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 2, 2024, in Cairo to discuss the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing.
According to a news agency, Egypt is insisting that Israel withdraw its forces from the crossing.
Israel seized the crossing on the Gaza side in May during its offensive in the city of Rafah along the enclave’s southern edge.
The Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings were the main entry point for food, fuel and medical supplies during the first seven months of war.
However, UN figures show that in more than three weeks from May 6 to May 28, 2024, only 216 aid trucks entered Gaza.
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