US pushes new Gaza ceasefire plan with regional countries

On May 31, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had separate phone calls with his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Jordan to discuss a proposal to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages.

Secretary of State Blinken made the calls on the plane as he returned home from a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Prague, Czech Republic.

According to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, during the phone calls, Mr. Blinken called on Hamas to immediately accept this agreement.

The US chief diplomat also stressed that this proposal benefits both Israel and Palestine, as well as the long-term security of the region.

Earlier in the day, US President Joe Biden announced that Israel had presented a "roadmap" towards a comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages.

The proposal would involve three phases, starting with a “full and comprehensive” six-week ceasefire, during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza and hostages – including elderly people, women and the wounded – would be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Palestinian civilians will return to Gaza, including northern Gaza, and 600 trucks carrying humanitarian aid will enter the Palestinian territory every day.

In the second phase, Hamas and Israel will negotiate terms for a permanent end to hostilities.

President Biden affirmed that the ceasefire “will remain in place as long as negotiations continue.” The third phase will include a major reconstruction plan for Gaza.

Immediately after Washington announced the proposal, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed it, considering it an "important opportunity" to end the conflict.

Ms von der Leyen said the three-phase approach was balanced and realistic, and that she hoped to receive support from all sides. Meanwhile, the German foreign minister stressed that the proposal "offers a ray of hope" and is a "viable roadmap" to move the conflict out of its stalemate.

Meanwhile, the Hamas Islamic Movement also issued a statement affirming its readiness to engage "positively and constructively" with any proposal based on a lasting ceasefire in Gaza, Israeli withdrawal, Gaza reconstruction, the return of displaced people and a "genuine prisoner exchange agreement" if Israel "clearly declares its commitment to such an agreement."

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he disagreed with President Biden's presentation regarding the proposal to move towards a permanent ceasefire agreement.

According to Prime Minister Netanyahu, the transition from one phase to the next in the proposed roadmap is “conditional” to allow Israel to maintain its goals.

A statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Mr Netanyahu had authorized his negotiating team to come up with a deal, while stressing that "the conflict will not end" until all objectives are achieved, including the release of all hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military capabilities and apparatus.

In a separate statement, the Israeli military said it had ended its operation in the Jabalia area of ​​northern Gaza, while advancing deeper into Rafah in southern Gaza.

Analysts say that Israel's statements and actions above could "throw cold water" and extinguish hopes for peace prospects.