JUST IN — US President Joe Biden presents new Israeli offer for Gaza cease-fire and partial withdrawal in exchange for hostage release

• The US has presented a new phased Israeli cease-fire offer, including withdrawal from 'populated areas' of Gaza in exchange for hostages
• The IDF reported its troops finding Hamas weapons in central Rafah
• Houthi rebels in Yemen claim to have attacked US aircraft carrier Eisenhower
• French officials deny Israel a place at Eurosatory arms fair

Here is a roundup of the latest developments from the Israel-Hamas war and the wider Middle East region on Friday, May 31

05/31/2024May 31, 2024

Biden says Israel offers new cease-fire deal

US President Joe Biden said that Israel had offered a "comprehensive" new cease-fire and hostage release deal in the war with militant Islamist group Hamas.

Biden said that the first phase of the deal would last six weeks and would include a complete cease-fire and withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas of the Gaza Strip.

He added that this would then allow Palestinians displaced since the start of the war on October 7 to return to their homes.

He said that this phase would include the release of some hostages by Hamas in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

The US president said that this would be followed by a second phase in which Israel and Hamas would negotiate a permanent end to hostilities. He said that if negotiations take longer than six weeks, the cease-fire will remain in place as long as talks continue.

This phase would include the release of all remaining hostages.

The third phase of the deal would entail a major reconstruction effort in Gaza, Biden said.

He said that he understood that some in Israel will not like the deal but urged Israeli leadership to push forward regardless of any pressure. He warned that Israel could face further isolation from the world if it does not implement the deal.

"We can't lose this moment," he stressed.

"Israel has made their proposal. Hamas says it wants a cease-fire. This deal is an opportunity to prove whether they really mean it," Biden said. 

He added that Hamas is no longer capable of carrying out another attack on Israel like that of October 7, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 240 were taken hostage.

He said that the US will also help forge a solution on the border with Lebanon, where Israel has engaged in hostilities with the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. He said that Israel could be integrated into a regional security framework that would include normalization with Saudi Arabia.

The US president urged for Hamas to accept the deal with Israel and for the world to put pressure on the militant group to do so.

"If Hamas fails to fulfill its commitments under the deal, Israel can resume its military operations," he said. "Hamas needs to take the deal."

He said that Washington would also ensure that Israel lives up to its obligations.

"It's time for this war to end," Biden declared.

05/31/2024May 31, 2024

Israel ends operations in northern Gaza's Jabalia

Israeli forces have ended operations in the town of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said.

The statement comes after more than two weeks of fierce fighting in the area.

The military added that Israeli forces had killed hundreds of militants, seized large caches of weaponry and disabled 10 kilometers of tunnels run by the Hamas militant group.

05/31/2024May 31, 2024

Israeli forces say they found Hamas weapons in central Rafah

IDF soldiers are operating in the center of the Gaza city of Rafah, Israeli officials confirmed on Friday.

The message comes after many Israeli allies, including the US, urged Israel to forego the attack on the city on humanitarian grounds.

A statement by the Israeli military said its forces discovered Hamas rocket launches and tunnels in the center of the city.

Israeli tanks were reported in various parts of Rafah earlier this week.

In the months following the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023, more than a million displaced Palestinians fled to Rafah, seeking refuge from fighting and shelling in other parts of Gaza.

US President Joe Biden recently threatened to limit weapons supplies to Israel if its forces move into "population centers" where many civilians are believed to still be hiding.

Despite international pressure Israel moved forward on its  Rafah offensive, claiming they were trying to defeat Hamas and reach Israeli hostages in the city.

On Wednesday, White House spokesman John Kirby had said Israeli actions did not amount to a "major ground operation" and therefore did not cross any red lines for Washington.

05/31/2024May 31, 2024

No space for Israel at France's Eurosatory fair

French officials have decided to ban Israel from the high-profile Eurosatory defense fair this year. 

"Following a decision by government authorities, there will not be an Israeli stand at the Eurosatory 2024 salon," a spokesperson for the organizers said via email.

The move comes as tensions grow between France and Israel over Israeli operations in Gaza, including reports of possible war crimes. Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron said he was "outraged" after some 45 displaced Gazans were killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike. Israel has described the strike as a "tragic mistake" and said its initial findings showed that its own ammunition was not enough for the damage caused.

"Conditions are no longer met to host Israeli companies at the show at a time when the President is calling for Israel to cease operations in Rafah,"  the French defense ministry told Reuters.

05/31/2024May 31, 2024

Houthi rebels claim attack on US aircraft carrier Eisenhower

After the US and the UK targeted Houthi rebel forces overnight, the Iran-backed militia threaten to escalate its attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

"The American-British aggression will not prevent us from continuing our military operations," Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on X, formerly Twitter, vowing to "meet escalation with escalation."

The Western airstrikes killed at least 16 civilians, according to the militia. On Friday, the faction said they retaliated by firing missiles at the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier which had been deployed to beef up naval security in the region.

The Houthi militia claimed its missiles scored "precise and direct" hits on the US vessel. 

A US defense official, however, told the Reuters news agency they were not aware of any attack against the Eisenhower.

dj/wmr (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)