U.S. President Joe Biden has suggested a three-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip to facilitate the release of some hostages held by Hamas, according to a report by Axios. Biden made the proposal in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, the report said, citing two U.S. and Israeli officials.
The report said that under the plan, which is being discussed by the U.S., Israel and Qatar, Hamas would free 10-15 hostages and use the truce to verify the identities of all the captives and provide a list of their names. The White House confirmed in a statement on Monday that Biden and Netanyahu talked about “the possibility of tactical pauses to provide civilians with opportunities to safely depart from areas of ongoing fighting, to ensure assistance is reaching civilians in need, and to enable potential hostage releases.”
