US President Joe Biden has revealed that Israel has agreed to cease military activities in Gaza for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan. This move comes as Hamas reviews a draft proposal for a truce, which includes provisions for a pause in fighting and a prisoner-hostage exchange.
The draft proposal, as detailed by a senior source close to the truce negotiations in Paris to Reuters, outlines plans to repair hospitals and bakeries in Gaza, along with allowing 500 aid trucks to enter the enclave daily. This proposal signifies the most serious attempt in weeks to bring an end to the conflict that began in October last year.
Ramadan is set 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 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.”
Expressing concern over the high Palestinian death toll and emphasizing the need for a ceasefire, Biden stated that Israel had committed to allowing Palestinians to evacuate from Rafah in Gaza’s south before escalating its campaign there against Hamas.
Biden indicated an agreement in principle for a ceasefire while hostages are released, expressing hope for a ceasefire to be in place by the following Monday.
Under the draft proposal, the exchange of prisoners would be at a ratio of 10 to one, with Hamas set to 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 who would not be re-arrested, according to the source.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire have intensified, aiming to prevent an Israeli assault on the city of Rafah where over a million displaced people are currently sheltering at the southern edge of the enclave.
President Biden expressed optimism about a ceasefire starting within days, stating during a visit to New York, “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.”
US negotiators have reportedly been pushing for a pause-for-hostages deal by the beginning of Ramadan on March 10th. Top US officials were engaged on the issue last week, with optimism growing after meetings between Israeli and Qatari officials.
While public statements from Israel and Hamas indicate significant differences in their positions on a potential truce, mediation efforts continue. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh accused Israel of stalling negotiations while Gazans suffer, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is ready for a deal, placing the onus on Hamas to accept terms.
Discussions between Qatar and Hamas, including efforts to broker an immediate and permanent ceasefire, have been ongoing. Israel has sent a working delegation to Qatar to establish an operational center to support negotiations.
Amidst these developments, Netanyahu affirmed plans for an assault on Rafah, stating Israel has a plan to evacuate civilians. He asserted Israel’s determination to proceed with or without US agreement, stating, “Well, we’ll go in. We make our own decisions, obviously, but we’ll go in based on the idea of having also the evacuation of the civilians.”
Talks have gained momentum since discussions in Paris last Friday, where Israeli officials engaged with delegations from the US, Egypt, and Qatar regarding terms of a hostage release deal, excluding Hamas from the talks.
The situation remains tense as the conflict in Gaza, which has claimed thousands of lives since October, continues to unfold. Additionally, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Shtayyeh, announced his resignation on Monday, paving the way for broader Palestinian consensus on political arrangements following the war in Gaza.
The United States, a key ally of Israel, continues to pressure for a swift truce to prevent further escalation and to avoid a potential assault on Rafah, a situation Washington fears could result in significant casualties.
