Israel has significantly degraded Hamas’ military capabilities since October, and the militant group no longer poses a major threat to Israel, President Joe Biden said Friday.
Biden’s Analysis on Hamas’ Capabilities
Biden offered this analysis while outlining a new three-phase cease-fire proposal Israel has offered Hamas, which would lead to the release of all hostages and a permanent end to fighting.
“The people of Israel should know they can make this offer without any further risk to their own security, because they’ve devastated Hamas forces over the past eight months,” Biden said. “At this point, Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another Oct. 7.”
He was referring to the militant group’s surprise attack on Israeli soil in October, which killed some 1,200 people and led to the hostage-taking of 250 people. Israel retaliated with an all-out invasion of Gaza, plunging the territory into famine-like conditions for 2.2 million Palestinians.
New Cease-Fire Proposal Details
Biden: Israel Offered New Proposal for ‘Enduring Cease-Fire’ in Gaza
The Biden administration has faced mounting pressure domestically and internationally to push Israel to stop its operations in Gaza, which have killed more than 35,000 people since October, according to Hamas-led Gazan authorities. Publicly, Israeli officials said they won’t agree to a permanent cease-fire until Hamas’ military is entirely destroyed.
Earlier this week, Israeli national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said he expected the war to last at least another seven months — right up to the end of the year.
Administration officials hope that Israel’s latest deal will provide the opening needed to quiet the guns and prompt the final exchange of all remaining hostages.
“Indefinite war in pursuit of an unidentified notion of total victory will only bog down Israel in Gaza … and further Israel’s isolation in the world,” Biden emphasized.
First Phase of the Three-Phase Deal
The first phase of the three-phase deal would last six weeks and include a “complete” cease-fire, a withdrawal of Israel forces from all populated areas in the Gaza Strip, the exchange of a number of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and the return of the bodies of Israelis killed by Hamas, Biden said.
Palestinian civilians would also be allowed to return to their homes across the enclave, and humanitarian assistance would surge, with 600 trucks carrying aid into Gaza daily, he added. Hundreds of thousands of temporary shelters would also be delivered.
“All that and more would begin immediately,” Biden said. After the fighting ends, the U.S. would work with partners to rebuild homes, schools, and hospitals in Gaza and repair communities that were destroyed.
Israeli Response to the Proposal
In a statement after Biden’s speech, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that there’s a deal on the table with Hamas but appeared to leave the door open to continuing Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
The proposal would “enable Israel to continue the war until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities,” the statement said. “The actual proposal put forward by Israel, including the conditional transition from one phase to the next, allows Israel to uphold these principles.”
Continuing Conflict in Rafah
Biden’s remarks come as Israeli troops and tanks pushed deeper into the southern Gazan city of Rafah on Friday, advancing into the central part of the city despite international pushback against the operation.
In his remarks, Biden offered some of his most pointed criticism of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza since the war began.
“You can’t lose this moment. Indefinite war in pursuit of an unidentified notion of total victory will only bog down Israel in Gaza … and further Israel’s isolation in the world,” Biden said, adding that it’s ultimately up to Hamas to negotiate and agree to the deal.
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