U.S. President Joe Biden in a recent revelation, announced that Israel has committed to a temporary cessation of military activities in Gaza during the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The move comes as Hamas reviews a draft proposal outlining a potential truce, encompassing a pause in hostilities and a suggested exchange of prisoners and hostages.
This draft proposal, regarded as a significant effort to address the ongoing conflict that ignited in October last year, primarily focuses on critical humanitarian concerns. A senior source close to the truce talks in Paris disclosed that the proposal includes provisions for the repair of essential infrastructure such as hospitals and bakeries in Gaza. Additionally, it envisions the daily entry of 500 aid trucks into the besieged enclave.
Ramadan is scheduled to commence on the evening of March 10th and conclude on the evening of April 9th.
During an appearance on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” President Biden emphasized the importance of the agreed cessation during Ramadan to facilitate the release of hostages. He stated, “Ramadan is coming up, and there’s 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.”
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Expressing concern over the high death toll among Palestinians, President Biden warned that Israel could risk losing international support. He revealed that Israel had committed to facilitating the evacuation of Palestinians from Rafah in Gaza’s south before intensifying its campaign against Hamas.
Biden conveyed an agreement in principle for a ceasefire between the two sides during the release of hostages, expressing hope for its realization by the following Monday.
“There are too many innocent people that are being killed. And Israel has slowed down the attacks in Rafah,” Biden added, asserting that a temporary ceasefire could kickstart a process for Palestinians to establish their own state.
However, challenges loom ahead as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a two-state solution. The draft outlines a potential exchange ratio of 10 to one for Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages.
Under the proposed truce, Hamas would release 40 Israeli hostages, including women, children under 19, the elderly over 50, and the sick. In return, Israel would release around 400 Palestinian prisoners without re-arresting them, according to the senior source.
Mediators are intensifying efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, aiming to prevent an Israeli assault on the city of Rafah, where more than a million displaced people are currently sheltering at the southern edge of the enclave.
These recent developments follow the October 7th incident where Hamas killed 1,200 people and captured 253 hostages, prompting Israel to launch a ground assault on Gaza. The conflict has resulted in nearly 30,000 confirmed deaths, according to Gaza health authorities.
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