Biden details new three-phase Gaza ceasefire plan from Israel

Hamas says it's ready to engage positively with proposal based on permanent ceasefire

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JERUSALEM President Joe Biden on May 31 laid out what he described as a threephase Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza in return for the release of Israeli hostages, saying "it's time for this war to end", and winning a positive initial reaction from Hamas.

The first phase involves a sixweek ceasefire when Israeli forces would withdraw from "all populated areas" of Gaza, some hostages including the elderly and women would be freed in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Palestinian civilians could return to their homes in Gaza and 600 trucks a day would bring humanitarian aid into the devastated enclave.

In this phase, Hamas and Israel would negotiate a permanent ceasefire that Mr Biden said would last "as long as Hamas lives up to its commitments". If negotiations take more than six weeks, the temporary ceasefire would extend while they continue.

In the second phase, Mr Biden said, there would be an exchange of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza and the permanent ceasefire would begin.

The third phase would include a major reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the "final remains" of hostages to their families.

"It's time for this war to end and for the day after to begin," said Mr Biden, who is under election-year pressure to stop the Gaza conflict, now in its eighth month.

Hamas, which Mr Biden said received the proposal from Qatar, released a statement reacting positively.