June 3 :
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Israel's proposal to achieve a full and complete ceasefire in Gaza with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Israeli Minister Benny Gantz, according to the State Department, on June 3 in Washington DC.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu counts Gantz among his military cabinet ministers. According to State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken praised Israel for the proposal and stressed that Hamas must accept the plan in separate talks on Sunday.
The US Secretary of State emphasised once again that the plan would serve Israel's long-term security objectives, which include facilitating the reunion of captives with their families and opening the door to the prospect of peace along Israel's border with Lebanon, which would enable Israelis to go home.
The senior US official praised Israel for its preparedness to reach an agreement and reiterated America's unwavering support for Israel's security. In a speech delivered on Friday, US President Joe Biden made the announcement that Israel has put out a "comprehensive new proposal" that lays out a plan to end the war in Gaza and have all the captives released by the terrorist group Hamas.
The proposal, which Qatar sent to Hamas, lays out a "roadmap" to an end to the fighting, says Biden. The first phase, which lasts six weeks, calls for a "full and complete ceasefire with the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza" as well as "release of a number of hostages including women, the elderly, the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners."
A diplomatic source said CNN on Tuesday, without providing details, that Israel had previously proposed new proposals about hostage and ceasefire negotiations earlier this week, and this announcement follows their presentation. Disagreements over specific demands halted direct talks between Hamas and Israel three weeks ago over the release of hostages. As stated in their statement, the group had demonstrated "flexibility and positivity in dealing with the efforts of the mediators throughout all previous rounds of indirect negotiations." According to Hamas, Israel has been utilising the months-long talks to prolong its attack in Gaza.
According to John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, the US expects Israel to continue with the hostage deal offer it made last week and accept it if Hamas agrees as well. This was stated on Sunday. "We have every expectation that if Hamas agrees to the proposal -- as was transmitted to them, an Israeli proposal -- that Israel would say 'Yes,'" added Kirby.
The Politico reports that the dispute started on Wednesday, when, against to Netanyahu's desires, the Israeli war cabinet proposed a truce to Hamas. After first rejecting the offer on Thursday, Hamas appeared to change their minds after Biden urged them to reconsider on Friday, stating that they perceived the offer "positively." According to the US newspaper, the three-pronged ceasefire plan has the support of several Arab states, as well as the European Commission, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Egypt, and Qatar.
