US President Joe Biden has announced that Israel has drafted a new three-phased agreement that would lead to the return of all hostages and a permanent end to hostilities between the two sides. Biden called this a "historic opportunity."
Go to the full article >>Families of the eight American hostages in Gaza commended President Biden for "boldly declaring that the time for a deal is now," according to a statement released by a group representing the families.
"After 238 days since Hamas’s attack on Israel, its massacre of more than 1,200 people, among them 44 Americans, and the abduction of our loved ones, the world must now take every necessary step to end this brutal war and bring all the 125 hostages home from Gaza, including our family members," the statement said.
As the President emphasized we cannot let this moment pass, the families said.
The families said it's imperative that the US along with those countries whose citizens are held hostage by Hamas and "all well-intended people" follow the US's lead to apply maximum pressure on Hamas and Israel to accept the deal thereby ending the suffering of Gaza’s civilians and return their loved ones.
"Now is the time for all of us—governments, NGOs, celebrities, and concerned citizens everywhere—to use our voices and demand a deal before it is too late," the families said.
Go to the full article >>The ceasefire offer Israel put forward yesterday wouldn't have been possible three months ago, a senior Biden administration official said following President Joe Biden's announcement of Israel's proposed three-phased plan to end the war.
The official said he thinks the reason why Israel is able to make this offer now is because of some of the success they've had in degrading Hamas's military capacity.
"This has been a difficult painstaking negotiation. And at the heart of it, of course, is the core demand to see hostages coming home," the senior official said. "And with hostages coming home, there is now really a roadmap to the end of the crisis."
The proposal is a detailed, four and a half page agreement, according to the official.
"We give credit to the Israelis for putting this officer down," the official said. "The President made very clear that the onus here is on Hamas. I would say that what is on the table now is extremely close in almost every respect to the deal that Hamas said they would take not too long ago."
Israel has been involved in this negotiation process, according to the official who noted that more progress has been made in the last few weeks than to date.
The official said the White House is realistic about what still needs to be worked out, such as the negotiation for the ratio of a potential prisoner exchange.
The official expressed confidence that the work could be done during the first phase of the ceasefire.
Work will also have to be done to reform the PA in the West Bank and having an interim administration in Gaza that can help with stabilization and a pathway forward, according to the senior official.
"It remains a concern of ours, as you've heard expressed from [Jake Sullivan] and others, that without a military strategy that is connected to a political and diplomatic strategy, the military gains often can be fleeting, as we've seen in the past," the official said. "So that day-after process is critically important."
The official said the US will act as a kind of guarantor together with Egypt and Qatar ensuring that the Israelis live up to their commitments as they've agreed as well as making sure Hamas lives up to their commitments.
"This will require an awful lot of work over the coming months, years. Should we be fortunate enough to close this deal, that very much is our commitment," the official said. "And the Egyptians and Qataris are very much on the same page with the paramount, immediate interest to get a ceasefire, to begin this important rehabilitation work and to bring the hostages home."
Go to the full article >>Hamas on Friday said it had a positive view of the contents of a three-phase ceasefire proposal announced by US President Joe Biden for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
"Hamas confirms its readiness to deal positively and in a constructive manner with any proposal that is based on the permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal [of Israeli forces] from the Gaza Strip, the reconstruction [of Gaza], and the return of the displaced to their places, along with the fulfillment of a genuine prisoner swap deal if the occupation clearly announces commitment to such deal," the group said in a statement.
Hamas' position signals a change in attitude from the group, which in recent months had accused the US of siding with Israel and obstructing attempts for a ceasefire.
"Hamas sees Biden's position now more focused on pressuring Israel to return to negotiations with a different attitude, or they (Israel) could risk clashing with the Americans," a Palestinian official close to the mediation efforts told Reuters.
Rifts between Biden and Netanyahu over red lines in Gaza have set up a potential showdown between the two leaders, raising questions about whether the US might restrict military aid if Israel continues its offensive in the now-devastated enclave.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said that Israel had authorized negotiators to present a Gaza truce deal after Biden revealed details of the ceasefire plan.
Go to the full article >>The European Union and the United States added new sanctions against Iran on Friday after its repeated supplies of weaponry to Russia and terror groups in the Middle East.
Go to the full article >>South African citizens in Israel at the time of the recent election on Wednesday were not able to cast their votes, due to the SA embassy in Israel being closed amid the ongoing war.
Go to the full article >>Hamas published a video on Friday featuring what is believed to be the voice of Gaza hostage Noa Argamani. The Hostage & Missing Families Forum responded, asking not to share the video, and that it doesn't take Hamas propaganda for their calls for a deal to be true.
Go to the full article >>Shin Bet reveals that a Hamas unit, comprised of Gaza-based terrorists and West Bank operatives released in the Shalit deal, is behind the planning and execution of over 20 shootings in the West Bank in 2023.
Go to the full article >>Hostile aircraft intrusion sirens sounded in the northern Golan on Friday.
Launches crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory and fell in western Galilee on Friday morning, according to Israeli media reports.
No sirens sounded following the launch detection.
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