Denmark welcomes US proposal for Gaza cease-fire, calls it ‘desperately needed roadmap’

By Ebad Ahmed

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AA) – Denmark on Saturday welcomed the new cease-fire proposal announced by US President Joe Biden, calling it a desperately needed roadmap.

On X, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said: “I welcome the roadmap as presented by the President of the United States of America towards an enduring ceasefire in Gaza which is so desperately needed.”

The statement added that a lasting cease-fire is also needed for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store also backed the proposal and called on all parties to engage and support it.

On X, he said: “I support the proposal for a lasting ceasefire, presented by President of the United States of America, the release of hostages and more humanitarian aid to Gaza. I urge all parties to engage and support.”

Biden said on Friday that Israel presented Palestinian resistance group Hamas with a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in the besieged Gaza Strip and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave.

He appealed to Hamas to accept the deal and urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resist pressure from members of his governing coalition opposed to the plan.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which killed about 1,200 people.

Over 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel began its onslaught nearly eight months ago. Most of those killed have been women and children, with more than 82,000 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid Israel's crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war.