President Biden on Friday outlined a road map proposed by Israel that would begin with an immediate temporary ceasefire in an effort to permanently end the war and rebuild Gaza.
Here are some of the details described by Mr. Biden, a senior U.S. government official, and Israeli officials who discussed a possible deal.
The first stage
Both sides will observe a six-week ceasefire. Israel will withdraw its troops from the main population center of Gaza and release some hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded. The hostages will be exchanged for the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Aid will begin flowing into Gaza, with about 600 trucks in use every day. Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians will also be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza. Most Palestinians fled the north after Israel issued a mass evacuation order before the ground invasion began.
In the first phase, Israel and Hamas will continue negotiations to reach a permanent ceasefire. Biden said if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the first phase of the truce will continue until a deal is reached.
the second term
Through a permanent ceasefire, Israel will completely withdraw its troops from Gaza. All remaining Israeli hostages, including male soldiers, will be released in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners.
It is unclear who will govern the territory under the agreement. Hamas could use the ceasefire to reestablish its rule in Gaza. In the past, the United States has said Gaza should be run by the Palestinian Authority, which has struggled to govern the West Bank. Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, generally reject the idea of the Palestinian Authority or Hamas running Gaza.
The third phase
Hamas to return remains of hostages killed. With support from U.S., European and international agencies, the rubble will be cleared and a three- to five-year reconstruction period will begin.
