EU and German leaders have announced their support for a new plan for the settlement of the conflict in Gaza

European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock expressed their support for Israel's plan to settle the ongoing military conflict in the Gaza Strip, announced by US President Joe Biden on May 31. According to "Armenpress", they informed about this with relevant posts on social networks: "I welcome the new proposal made by the US President regarding the temporary ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages and humanitarian aid. It is very important that it opens up space for negotiations on a long-term solution, in particular for a permanent cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, as well as the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip," Michel said. Von der Leyen considers the last proposal important. an opportunity to move towards ending the war and civilian suffering in Gaza. In his opinion, this three-stage approach is balanced and realistic, and needs the support of all parties. Berbok also emphasized that Israel's proposal is a ray of hope and a possible way out of the military impasse. He noted that now Hamas must prove its commitment to ending the conflict. And Hamas, as reported by the Arab media, is not fully satisfied with the provisions of the new proposal, because, according to the representatives of the movement, Biden's proposal does not contain the final end of the war and Clear guarantees of Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. On Friday, Biden called on the Israeli authorities and Hamas to accept the new ceasefire proposal. It consists of three stages. The first is planned to be implemented in six weeks. In the meantime, a cease-fire should be established in the Gaza Strip, some of the hostages held there should be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners, and the supplies of humanitarian aid should be increased. In addition, the Israeli military must leave the settlements in the Gaza Strip. Also, the parties should start negotiations on the indefinite cessation of hostilities. In the second phase, Israel must completely withdraw all its forces from Gaza, Palestinian groups must release the remaining hostages, and the cease-fire becomes indefinite, provided that Hamas adheres to all its commitments. The third phase implies the beginning of the implementation of the Gaza Strip reconstruction project with the support of the international community.