Israel has "basically accepted" six-week ceasefire proposal, waiting for Hamas's approval: US official
Mar 03, 2024
Washington, DC [US], March 3 : A senior US official highlighted that Israel has "basically accepted" a six-week ceasefire proposal in Gaza, reported CNN.
A senior official in US President Joe Biden's administration said that a second phase of the proposal would be worked out over those six weeks.
A second phase of the proposal would be worked out over those six weeks "to build something more enduring," the official said, according to CNN.
The official added that there is a "framework deal" that Israel has "more or less accepted." The sticking point, the official said, is that Hamas has not yet agreed to a "defined category of vulnerable hostages."
"This vulnerable category of hostages, which is the first phase, is the deal. At the point of -- how will that happen and is Hamas committed to doing that?" the official said.
Moreover, he noted that the US has held "a number of meetings" in Israel and a meeting in Paris in the past several weeks, CNN reported, adding that the meetings are "ongoing" in Doha, Qatar.
Earlier on Friday afternoon, US President Joe Biden called for an "immediate ceasefire" for at least six weeks as part of a hostage deal.
However, later, responding to queries about a potential ceasefire by Monday, a date previously suggested by Biden, he conceded that achieving such an outcome seemed unlikely at the moment.
"It looks like we're still -- it's not there yet. I think we'll get there, but it's not there yet. And it may not get there now," Biden remarked, offering a realistic view of the challenges involved in brokering an agreement between Israel and Hamas. He maintained optimism, stating, "It's not over till it's over."
The US on Saturday, began airdropping humanitarian aid into Gaza, according to two US officials, as reported by CNN.
A US official said that three US C-130s dropped humanitarian supplies over Gaza on Saturday, adding that there were 66 total bundles dropped--22 from each aircraft, the official added.
