The Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterressaid this Friday that “wait fervently” than the Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza announced today by US President Joe Biden “leads to an agreement between the parties for a lasting peace.”
In a brief statement issued after questions from journalists about this proposal, Guterres recalled that he has been asking for three things for months: a ceasefire, “full and unrestricted” access to humanitarian aid in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas. .
In turn, the head of diplomacy of the European Union (EU), Ursula von der Leyenon Friday welcomed the Israeli roadmap toward a ceasefire in Gaza announced by Biden as a “significant opportunity” to end the war.
“I completely agree with Biden that the latest proposal is a significant opportunity to move forward toward ending the war and the suffering of civilians in Gaza. This three-phase approach is balanced and realistic. Now it needs the support of all parties,” declared the president of the European Commission on social networks.
The Israeli proposal would begin with a six-week phase of a complete ceasefire, the release of some hostages and the partial withdrawal of the Israeli Army.
During those six weeks, Israel and Hamas should negotiate the details of the second phase, which would involve “the permanent end of hostilities”, the release of the rest of the hostages, including soldiers, and the withdrawal of the Israeli Army from the Strip, Biden detailed. .
According to the US president, this second stage would require very intense negotiation, so that “The ceasefire will remain in force as long as talks continue.“, said.
The third and final phase would include a “major reconstruction plan” for the Palestinian enclave and the return of the bodies of the murdered hostages.
The Palestinian terrorist group stated on Friday that it positively assessed the content of the proposal announced by Biden for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
“Hamas confirms its readiness to deal positively and constructively with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal (of Israeli forces) from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction (of Gaza), and the return of displaced persons to their places, together with the fulfillment of a genuine prisoner exchange agreement if the occupation clearly announces its commitment to such an agreement”the group stated in a statement.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated earlier that Israel had authorized negotiators to present a truce deal in Gaza after Biden revealed details of the ceasefire plan.
Palestinian health authorities estimate that more than 36,280 people have died in Gaza since Israel attacked the enclave in response to a Hamas assault on October 7 in southern Israel. The Hamas attack killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli counts.
(With information from EFE, AFP and Reuters)
