World leaders urge Israel, Hamas to accept deal

WASHINGTON

U.S. President Joe Biden and 16 other world leaders including key European and Latin American players on Thursday jointly urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal and for Israel to accept compromises.

"There is no time to lose. We call on Hamas to close this agreement," said the statement issued by the White House.

The statement was signed by the leaders of key European powers Britain, France and Germany as well as by Spain, which has infuriated Israel by recognizing a Palestinian state.

More unusually, the statement brought together the ideologically divergent leaders of South America's most populous nations — Brazil and Colombia, whose left-wing presidents have stridently denounced Israel, and Argentina, whose new libertarian leader backs Israel.

The United States has repeatedly said the onus is on Hamas to accept the deal, but the statement also called for flexibility from Israel.

"At this decisive moment, we call on the leaders of Israel as well as Hamas to make whatever final compromises are necessary to close this deal and bring relief to the families of our hostages, as well as those on both sides of this terrible conflict, including the civilian populations," it said.

"It is time for the war to end and this deal is the necessary starting point."

Biden last week publicly announced a new plan in which Israel would withdraw from Gaza population centers and Hamas would free hostages for an initial six weeks, with the ceasefire extended as negotiators seek a permanent end to hostilities.

He billed the plan as an Israeli offer, although it has drawn criticism from some right-wing Israeli politicians critical to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government.

Mediator Qatar has submitted the plan to Hamas for review. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also been pushing the plan through phone calls with Arab foreign ministers.

Thursday's statement was also signed by Thailand, which has a large force of workers in Israel and saw around 30 of its citizens taken hostage of around the 250 people seized by gunmen in the Oct. 7 attack.

Other countries signing the statement were Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Serbia.

Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli official figures.

Hamas also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza; among them 37 the army says are dead.

Israel's offensive has killed more than 36,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.