Biden calls for ‘three-day ceasefire’ to free hostages. What is Netanyahu’s answer?

U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the conflict for three days to secure the release of some hostages held in the Gaza Strip, the stronghold of the Palestinian armed group Hamas, according to Axios, a U.S. political media outlet, citing sources on the 7th (local time).

According to Israeli and U.S. senior officials, President Biden suggested during a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu the previous day that the Israeli military should suspend its conflict with Hamas for three days in order to secure the release of hostages. The proposal included releasing 10-15 hostages held by Hamas during this period, verifying the identity of all hostages, and providing a list.

In response, Prime Minister Netanyahu told President Biden that he does not trust Hamas’s intentions and does not believe they are prepared to make an agreement regarding the hostages. Axios reported that Netanyahu is aware that a three-day ceasefire could result in a loss of international support for the current operation against Hamas.

Furthermore, the media outlet reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu is cautious about a ceasefire due to an incident during a humanitarian ceasefire in the 2014 war with Hamas, where Israeli soldiers were killed and kidnapped by Hamas.

Israeli authorities report that at least 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas and dragged into the Gaza Strip during a surprise attack on Israel on the 7th of last month. Hamas has since released two elderly Israeli citizens and a mother and daughter from the U.S.

In a statement released that day, Hamas stated that they are prepared to release an additional 12 foreign hostages, but cannot do so due to Israel’s air strikes and ground attacks.

The U.S. has been pushing for a tactical ceasefire to allow civilians to safely leave the battlefield, ensure aid is delivered to those in need, and potentially facilitate the release of hostages. To this end, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Prime Minister Netanyahu on the 3rd, and CIA Director William Burns arrived in Israel the previous day to discuss hostage-related information, the opening of passages between Gaza and Egypt, and efforts to prevent the spread of war with Israeli intelligence agencies.

Concerns are growing in the international community as Israel continues its bloody reprisals in the armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, which began with Hamas’s preemptive attack, resulting in 9,500 deaths including innocent Palestinian civilians. The humanitarian situation in Gaza, where residents are dependent on relief supplies amid Israel’s blockade, shows no signs of improvement. Amidst this, the evacuation of foreigners and the injured, which had started on the 1st, has been halted.

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