Biden's Gaza proposal a 'glimmer of hope', says German top diplomat

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has welcomed the new proposal to end the Gaza war revealed by US President Joe Biden, saying the plan provides “a glimmer of hope” nearly eight months into the conflict.

“The Israeli offer, which President Biden reiterated and reaffirmed today, provides a [glimmer] of hope and a possible path out of the war’s deadlock,” Baerbock wrote on X late on Friday.

“We fully support the mediation efforts of the USA, Qatar and Egypt. It is now up to Hamas to prove their commitment to ending the conflict,” Germany’s top diplomat added.

“Every single day that the #hostages remain in the hands of Hamas terrorists is one day too many. Every single day Palestinian civilians die in #Gaza is one day too many.”

In a surprise announcement on Friday, Biden unveiled a new proposal to end the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages.

The US president said the new plan envisaged three phases of de-escalation, principally featuring a truce that would become permanent and Israel’s withdrawal from the Palestinian territory.

He said that Israel had endorsed the proposal – which had been forged with the help of US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators – and the plan had already been sent to negotiators with the Islamist group Hamas.