In a shocking revelation of betrayal and deception, it has come to light that Washington, with full knowledge of the details, kept Israel in the dark about a new ceasefire proposal presented to Hamas by Arab mediators. The audacity of this concealment has ignited a firestorm of outrage in Jerusalem, underscoring a deepening mistrust towards the US administration's intentions and its reliability as an honest mediator. The US is in the middle of an election year and the Democrat party of President Biden relies heavily on the support of college youth and progressives, it is thought that the fear of alienating these groups who are protesting Israel across America will harm Biden's chances for reelecton in November.
According to a report by Barak Ravid of Axios, Israeli officials were blindsided by Hamas's sudden acceptance of the ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar—a proposal that Israel had no prior knowledge of nor had seen until Hamas had already announced it to the world. This clandestine maneuver has effectively painted Israel as the obstinate party unwilling to agree to peace, a portrayal that Hamas, with its mastery of misinformation propaganda, has exploited to its advantage across major media networks. It is why after all the known deception, major media outlets still rely on the Hamas-run "Gaza Ministry of Health" without qualifying who supplies the information or adding that Hamas does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their reporting.
Some facts for the next weeks:
— Jaksona (@jaksonhinkle) May 7, 2024
1) Hamas did not agree to Israel's ceasefire resolution; they agreed to a resolution offered by Egypt and the US.
2) No one is bombing civilians. Israel is providing multiple, advanced warnings for civilians to evacuate.
3) The Israel Defense… pic.twitter.com/ZVHER7WOeu
The appearance of treachery deepens with the discovery that both Washington and CIA Director William Burns were not only aware of the new, substantially altered proposal but also the final adjustments to the status of hostages being made in Doha. Despite this, they chose silence over transparency with their Israeli allies. This revelation has rightly sparked intense anger and suspicion in Jerusalem, fueling fears of being manipulated into agreeing to unacceptable terms.
The betrayal by the US is compounded by the seriousness of the stakes involved. The main point of contention remains Hamas's insistence on a ceasefire that would lead to the end of the war, while Israel is resolute in its position that it will not cease its military actions as long as Hamas holds power in Gaza. Furthermore, there are alarming discrepancies concerning the release of hostages, with Hamas only committing to 18 live hostages while ambiguously adding deceased individuals to reach a total of 33—a far cry from meeting Israel's essential demands.
US knew of mediators' altered proposal to Hamas, did not inform Israel -- report.
— Barry Tigay (@TigayBarry) May 7, 2024
Axios reports Jerusalem newly disappointed, suspicious of the US administration, with a sense it ‘got played’; US official insists: ‘There have been no surprises’ https://t.co/peZYM5bpUZ
Despite the grave implications of these negotiations, a senior US official blithely claimed that there have been "no surprises" and emphasized the complexity of the negotiations without acknowledging the fundamental breach of trust. The fear in Israel is that America is trying to twist Israel's arm by allowing the narrative that Hamas agreed and Israel refused to go unchallenged. Israel has stated from the beginning that anything less than the return of its hostages, the bodies of the deceased and the eradication of Hamas from its leadership role in the Strip is unacceptable, terms that President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have echoed since October 7th until recently.
And, as expected, the media spin that Israel rejected a peace deal is doing the rounds
— 🧡Visibly Jewish Nil × ×™×œ×™ (@NiliSaar72) May 7, 2024
No, Israel OFFERED a deal and Hamas agreed to one that Qatar and Egypt wrote without Israel’s knowledge but US knew of
Pathetic
This scenario not only questions the integrity of the US's role in these critical negotiations but also casts a long shadow over the possibility of achieving a durable peace when such underhanded tactics are employed. The sense of betrayal is profound as it appears that Israel, in its quest for security and peace, may indeed have been played by those it considered to be its most valuable and needed partners.
