US President Joe Biden and the leaders of several key European and Latin American countries called on the Palestinian armed group Hamas to offer a cease-fire and make concessions to Israel in a joint statement. The joint statement was released on Thursday (June 6). French news agency AFP reported.
“There is no time to waste,” the White House said in a joint statement. We call on Hamas to accept this agreement.
Countries that signed the statement include Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Thailand and Serbia.
The United States has repeatedly said that the onus is on Hamas to accept the deal. But the statement also called on Israel to show flexibility.
It said, at this critical moment, we call on the leaders of Israel and Hamas to make maximum concessions to implement this agreement. Now is the time to end the war and this treaty is a necessary first step.
Biden proposed a new plan for a ceasefire in Gaza last week. It would require the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas of Gaza for up to six weeks and the release of Hamas hostages. Mediators will negotiate during this period to extend the ceasefire. Biden described the plan as an Israeli proposal. However, it has been criticized by right-wing allies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government.
Qatari mediators forwarded the plan to Hamas for review. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is also in contact with the Arab countries on the issue.
On October 7, 1,200 Israelis were killed in an attack by Hamas in Israel. At this time, armed fighters took more than 250 people hostage to Gaza.
In response, the Israeli military launched a counterattack in Gaza. According to Gaza health authorities, more than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel during the eight-month offensive.
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