The US leader, speaking from the White House, described the proposal as "a roadmap to a lasting ceasefire and the release of all hostages". Biden said the first phase of the deal would last six weeks and would involve a "full and complete ceasefire", the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of the Gaza Strip and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women, the elderly and the wounded, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The American hostages would be released during this phase and the remains of those killed would be returned to their families. Humanitarian aid would be increased, with 600 trucks a day allowed into the Palestinian enclave. The second phase would involve the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and Israeli forces would withdraw from their positions throughout the Gaza Strip. "If Hamas lives up to its commitments, the temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposal, 'a permanent cessation of hostilities'," Biden noted. Finally, the third phase calls for the beginning of a major reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, which faces decades of work due to the devastation wrought by the war. Speaking from the White House, the US President said Hamas "can no longer" carry out another large-scale attack on Israel, stressing the need for a prolonged truce and the release of hostages. Biden was speaking as the war between Israel and Hamas entered its eighth month, with the Israeli military confirming earlier today that its forces were now operating in central parts of Rafah in their offensive in the southern Gaza Strip. "This is a defining moment," Biden said, referring to the three-phase deal that Israeli authorities have offered Hamas. "Israel has made its proposal. Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This agreement is a chance to prove whether they mean it," he added. Israel launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip after a deadly Hamas attack on October 7th, in which Palestinian militants overran southern Israel, killing almost 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 hostage. The large-scale Israeli retaliation in the Palestinian enclave has killed more than 36,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to the local Hamas government, and has left the territory in a severe humanitarian crisis. Read Also: Hamas releases propaganda video using voice of one of the hostages (Portuguese version)