Biden sees Hamas as the only Obstacle in the way of the Gaza Conflict, White House
American President Joe Biden has explained to Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that Hamas is the number one problem for the ceasefire in Gaza, and he demanded the Emir to influence Hamas to accept a given agreement. In a readout of their call on Monday, the White House said Biden “stressed that the only impediment to a full ceasefire now is Hamas” and “reiterated Israel’s willingness – as affirmed last week – to proceed”.
The Qatari Amiri Diwan has acknowledged the conversation and explained that Sheikh Tamim has talked to President Biden over the phone with a focus on actions in place to put an end to the continuous conflict in Gaza and the situation in the Gaza Strip and other occupied Palestinian territories.
Closely related and active enough in passing the message back to each other, in indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel, mediators have been Egypt and the United States with generous assistance from Qatar. The ceasefire proposal includes a three-phase plan, such as the prisoner swap deal concerning Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, the IDF withdrawal from Gaza, and the Gaza reconstruction. Nonetheless, it is proposing the expulsion of Hamas from power, a stance that the group has time and again refused to accept.
The G7 of developed countries endorsed the proposal on Monday, calling on Hamas to agree to it. ”We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), fully endorse” the truce plan, which encompasses an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the freeing of hostages, the increased delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Gaza, and the ultimate termination of the crisis with Israel’s security guaranteed, as well as the mention of the civilian safety of the Gazan population.
Deputy Foreign Minister of Hamas Osama Hamdan said he supports the ceasefire plan, but no written material was received. The recent war that was carried out by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip has led to civilian casualties of more than 36,000, as the Palestinian Ministry of Health shows, displacing 90% of Gazan’s actual population of 2. 3 million population.
GMO stated that 3545 children in the Gaza Strip are in critical condition and in danger of dying from lack of food, clinical nutrition and vaccines as Israel tries to prevent humanitarian supplies from reaching the besieged enclave.
The US-advanced deal starts with a complete cease-fire lasting six weeks, during which Israeli forces pull out of all the populated areas of Gaza, which has already experienced factors in the north that cause famine. Israel’s war cabinet has met to deliberate on the proposal, but it is unsure if they will approve it.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the plan as ‘partial,’ while a spokesman for the government echoed this statement, asserting that the war would be stopped only to free hostages; the further procedures would define how to wipe out Hamas.
The families of the Israeli captives detained in the Gaza Strip have called on the Israeli government to accept the plan, stressing that Netanyahu must publicly endorse the deal. There have been demonstrations in ascending order of intensity for months, with the Kenyans wanting the government to accept previous deals implied through negotiations.
The military of Israel declared that four additional citizens held captive in Gaza were killed, their names being Haim Perry, Yoram Metzger, Amiram Cooper, and Nadav Popplewell. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the four were killed in Khan Younis while conducting a mission against Hamas.
This month, the mediators from Qatar and Egypt tried to introduce a ceasefire to Hamas, but Israel did not accept it, saying that it did not meet their expectations. There is growing pressure all over the world for Israel to stop its attack, and the country is getting isolated. Israel fails to heed the International Court of Justice ruling telling it to cease its aggression on Rafah, and it is widening its ground incursion in the area.
