President Biden laid out a plan to reach a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas and end the war in Gaza in a speech on Friday, offering details of the Israeli proposal for the first time.
Why it matters: Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas reached a deadlock three weeks ago. Biden, CIA Director Bill Burns, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and other senior U.S. officials have been personally involved in efforts to reach a breakthrough, but a deal remains elusive.
- The White House sees a hostage deal as the only viable path to a ceasefire and the potential end to a war that has become a political problem for Biden ahead of the presidential election.
- Biden used Friday's speech to apply pressure on both sides. "I have urged the leadership in Israel to stand behind this deal despite any political pressure," he said, adding that insisting on "complete victory" would "only bog down Israel in Gaza."
- "This is a decisive moment. Hamas says it wants a ceasefire, this deal is a way to prove they really mean it," Biden said.
The latest: Hamas issued a statement saying it "looks positively" at what was included in Biden's speech, in particular his call for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the reconstruction of Gaza, and prisoner exchanges.
- "The movement affirms its position of readiness to deal positively and constructively" with such a proposal if Israel "declares its explicit commitment" to those aspects, the statement said.
Zoom in: Biden said the first phase of the deal would include a six-week ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas in Gaza.
- During that time, Hamas would release of a number of hostages — including women, elderly and sick captives — in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. "There are American hostages who will be released at this stage," Biden said. The remains of some deceased hostages would also be returned.
- As part of the first phase, displaced Palestinian civilians would be allowed to return to their homes, included in northern Gaza, Biden said.
- He added that humanitarian aid would surge to 600 trucks per day, which could be distributed without difficulties due to the ceasefire. Biden added that tens of thousands of new housing units for Palestinians will be delivered by the international community.
The plan calls for Israel and Hamas to continue to negotiate toward a permanent end to hostilities during those six weeks.
- "There are number of issues to negotiate to move from phase one to phase two," Biden said. "The Israeli proposal says that if negotiations take more than the six weeks of phase one a ceasefire will continue as long as negotiations continue."
- Phase two would include the release of all remaining live hostages, including male soldiers, and the Israeli military's full withdrawal from Gaza.
- "The U.S., Egypt and Qatar will make sure negotiations will keep going and that phase two is able to begin," Biden said.
- In phase three, Biden said, an effort to rebuild Gaza will begin and all other remains of dead hostages will be returned to Israel.
Between the lines: Biden appealed directly to the people of Israel, saying they should know Hamas forces have already been "destroyed" to the extent that the militant group could not conduct "another October 7."
- Some in Israel, including in the Cabinet, want to fight indefinitely and occupy Gaza, Biden said. "The notion of complete victory will only bog down Israel in Gaza, drain the economy and further isolate Israel. That won't bring hostages home, won't bring the defeat of Hamas," he said.
- Biden said the hostage deal and ceasefire would lead to calm on the border with Lebanon and open the way for integration of Israel in the region, including a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia. "This will allow Israel to be part of a regional security network to counter the threat from Iran," Biden said.
- The president made clear that even if a deal is reached and a ceasefire begins, Israel will always have the right to defend itself and "bring those responsible for October 7 to justice" — and could resume military operations if Hamas "fails to fulfill its commitments."
- Egypt and Qatar would hold Hamas to its end of the deal, while the U.S. would guarantee Israel complies, Biden says.
What's next: Biden called on the international community to press Hamas to come back to the table. He stressed that if Hamas resumes negotiations the Israeli government must give its negotiators the mandate to close a deal.
State of play: A meeting in Paris last Friday between Burns, the director of Israel's Mossad and Qatar's prime minister made progress toward the possible resumption of hostage negotiations, U.S. and Israeli officials said.
- But those efforts were complicated by Israel's military operation in Rafah, which began in early May, and the killing of 45 Palestinian civilians in a fire caused by an Israeli airstrike in the city on Sunday.
- On Monday, Israel gave Qatar, Egypt, and the U.S. an official updated proposal for a possible deal to release hostages held in Gaza.
- On Wednesday, Qatari officials met with Hamas representatives in Doha and delivered the updated Israeli proposal.
- On Thursday, Hamas issued a statement confirming they received the Israeli proposal but demanding that Israel stop the fighting in Gaza before negotiations resume.
- "We informed the mediators that we are ready to return to negotiations on a comprehensive agreement that will include a prisoner exchange if Israel stops the war in Gaza. We will not agree to negotiate if Israel continues the war," the Hamas statement said.
Behind the scenes: Sullivan, Burns and Biden Middle East envoy Brett McGurk have been in close touch in recent days with the Qatari and Egyptian mediators as well as with Israeli officials to try and resume negotiations, according to two sources with direct knowledge.
- The sources said the Biden administration told Israel in advance about Biden's speech, and Israeli officials asked that he include specific messages.
What they're saying: After Biden's speech, the Israeli Prime Minister's office confirmed Israel had presented an "outline" for a deal "while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas' military and governmental capabilities."
What's next: After Biden's speech, Sullivan will meet with diplomats from 17 countries whose citizens are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza in order to mobilize international pressure in favor of a hostage deal, according to two sources with knowledge of the meeting.
