President Joe Biden detailed that talks will go beyond the temporary ceasefire announced Wednesday to a phase two of the deal that could include "a permanent end of the war", APA reports citing CNN.
“During the next six weeks, Israel will negotiate the necessary arrangements to get phase two, which is a permanent end of the war. Let me say it again: A permanent end of the war,” Biden said.
“There are a number of details to negotiate, to move from phase one to phase two. But the plan says if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the cease fire will continue as long as the negotiations continue,” he added.
Biden also confirmed that “Americans will be part of that hostage release on phase one as well.” Under the deal, Hamas and its allied militant groups are expected to release 33 hostages seized from Israel during the attacks of October 7, 2023.
In return, Israel will free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and, according to Biden, “Palestinians can also return to their neighborhoods in all the areas of Gaza and the surge of humanitarian assistance into Gaza will begin.”
In a potential phase three of the deal, “any final remains of hostages who have been killed will be returned to their families, and a major reconstruction plan for Gaza will begin,” Biden said.
