U.S. President Joe Biden and the leaders of Germany, France, and Britain announced that they reaffirmed their support for Biden's proposed ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, during events commemorating D-Day in France. They mentioned in a joint statement published by Britain, "The leaders... reiterated their full support for the comprehensive agreement outlined by President Biden, which will lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, a significant and sustainable increase in humanitarian aid... and a permanent end to the crisis."
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have waged a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in tens of thousands of civilian casualties, most of whom are children and women, as well as a humanitarian catastrophe and significant destruction of infrastructure, leading to Tel Aviv facing the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide.
In addition to the human toll, the war has caused an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, extensive damage to infrastructure and property, and the displacement of nearly two million Palestinians out of approximately 2.3 million in Gaza, according to Palestinian and UN data. Israel continues its offensive despite interim measures issued by the International Court of Justice, as well as a subsequent decision by the UN Security Council for an immediate ceasefire.
For months, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been leading indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and an exchange of prisoners and detainees between the two sides. Efforts to reach this agreement have stalled after Israel rejected it on the grounds that it did not meet its conditions, and after beginning a military operation in the city of Rafah on May 6, followed by the takeover of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing the next day.
