11th June, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The United States (U.S.) has urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal on the table for a lasting peace in Gaza without delay.
U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said this when he met with the United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday.
This is contained in a statement issued by Matthew Miller, spokesman of the U.S. Department of State.
Miller said Blinken met on Tuesday with Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Jordan on the margins of the international conference on the urgent humanitarian response to Gaza.
“The Secretary and Foreign Minister discussed the need to reach a ceasefire that secures the release of all hostages, enables a surge in humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, and allows civilians to return to their neighborhoods,” Miller stated.
According to Miller, the Secretary underscored that the current proposal on the table would benefit both Israelis and Palestinians and reiterated that Hamas should accept it without delay.
“The Secretary and Foreign Minister continued discussions on reconstruction, governance, and security for Gaza in a post-conflict period,” he added.
U.S. President, Joe Biden had on 31 May, urged Hamas to accept a new Israeli proposal to end the conflict in Gaza, saying that “it’s time for this war to end”.
The three-part proposal would begin with a six-week ceasefire in which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would withdraw from populated areas of Gaza.
There would also be a “surge” of humanitarian aid, as well as an exchange of some hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
The deal would eventually lead to a permanent “cessation of hostilities” and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza.
Hamas said it views the proposal “positively”.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, Mr Biden said that the first phase of the proposed plan would include a “full and complete ceasefire”, the withdrawal of IDF forces from populated areas and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
“This is truly a decisive moment,” he said. “Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it.”
The ceasefire, he added, would allow more humanitarian aid to reach the beleaguered territory, with “600 trucks carrying aid into Gaza every single day”.