What should Israel agree on with the terrorists?

Biden is putting pressure on
What should Israel agree on with the terrorists?

The time could not be more urgent for a peace plan between Israel and Hamas: the needy in the Gaza Strip can no longer be reached with help, reports Oxfam. At the same time, the Israeli hostages' chances of survival are decreasing every day. What would the warring parties have to agree to in the deal?

Can this proposal finally bring peace? US President Joe Biden is urging Israel and Hamas to accept the three-phase plan now presented, to cease the weapons and to free all hostages. For months, both warring parties have been negotiating a joint deal through mediators. The Israeli side has already agreed to the latest plan in the negotiations, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has other priorities. So far he has not officially confirmed the offer. Hamas has also yet to respond to the Biden proposal. What would the two warring parties have to agree on?

1. Phase 1 of the plan lasts six weeks. During this time, the weapons would be completely suspended and the Israeli armed forces would have to withdraw from all densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip. This should make it possible to quickly bring a lot of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Since the Rafah border crossing was blocked by Israel, the situation for the Palestinian population has become even more threatening.
   During the first phase, Hamas would primarily have to release women, the elderly and the injured among the Israeli hostages. On the Israeli side, hundreds of Palestinian prisoners would be released from Israeli prisons in return. A large number of Israeli hostages are now said to have died. The plan calls for their remains to be handed over to their families.
2. Furthermore, negotiations would need to continue during Phase 1 to make Phase 2 possible, a permanent end to the fighting. To this end, all hostages that are still in the hands of the terrorists at this point would be released. Captured male soldiers should also be released. At the same time, the Israeli armed forces would have to completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Negotiators estimate another six weeks for this process.
3. Phase 3 would begin reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. This should last three to five years, supported by the USA and the international community.

From Israel's perspective, the three-phase plan, in which a new phase is only possible when the previous one has been successfully completed, is intended to ensure that its war goals are achieved. Prime Minister Netanyahu does not want to give up on these goals, even if many security experts believe that the complete destruction of Hamas is impossible. This is one of the two officially stated goals of the Gaza war, along with freeing the hostages.

However, large parts of the Israeli population have doubts that Netanyahu is actually pursuing the goal of getting the hostages out of Hamas captivity using all necessary means. The government coalition with right-wing extremist parties makes him vulnerable to blackmail. The right-wing extremists absolutely want to prevent an agreement with Hamas; their goal is to permanently occupy the Gaza Strip. That is why they are trying to block any steps towards a peace deal. Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to dissolve the government if the deal goes through.

However, convincing Netanyahu is only half the battle in this undertaking. The Hamas leadership has not yet commented on the deal. In the current phase, all she can care about is ensuring her own survival. With the release of all hostages they would be giving their last bargaining chip to extract concessions from the Israeli side.