Biden says Israel-Gaza conflict should end now and Israel must not occupy Gaza
(VOVWORLD) - US President Joe Biden said on Thursday the Israel-Gaza conflict must end now and Israel must not occupy the enclave after the conflict, telling reporters his ceasefire framework had been agreed on by both Israel and Hamas but there were still gaps to close.
"That framework is now agreed on by both Israel and Hamas. So I sent my team to the region to hammer out the details," Biden said in a news conference.
Biden in late May detailed a proposal of three phases aimed at achieving a ceasefire, the release of hostages in Gaza and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, Israel's withdrawal from Gaza and the rebuilding of the coastal enclave.
Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has accepted a key part of a US plan, dropping a demand that Israel first commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing the agreement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted the deal must not prevent Israel from resuming fighting until its objectives are met. At the outset of the conflict, he pledged to annihilate Hamas.