To detect the US plan to squeeze Israel out of the Gaza Strip on the way to establishing a Palestinian State on either side of the Israeli border, one must compare the way the Biden administration presented the relationship between releasing the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and achieving a ceasefire between the IDF and Hamas.
Here’s how the Biden White House described the relationship between those two terms after a meeting in the White House with Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar on February 29:
“The two leaders discussed efforts to secure the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas. They agreed that Hamas should release the hostages it is holding without delay. The leaders underscored that the release of hostages would result in an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks.”
Now compare this to Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s March 5 statement before he met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani:
“Most immediate and most urgent on our minds and in our focus is the situation in Gaza. And here we have an opportunity for an immediate ceasefire that can bring hostages home, that can dramatically increase the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Palestinians who so desperately need it, and can also set the conditions for an enduring resolution.”
On February 29, releasing the hostages brings on a ceasefire, on March 5, a ceasefire can bring the hostages home. God willing.
Reuters reported Wednesday morning that the United States on Tuesday revised the language of its draft UN Security Council resolution to support “an immediate ceasefire of roughly six weeks in Gaza together with the release of all hostages.”
Initially, Israel will put down its arms, as President Biden stated on Tuesday, and it was up to Hamas to decide whether to agree to the ceasefire deal, contingent on the release of Israeli hostages.
And a very reasonable Hamas said on Wednesday that it would continue working to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, even though Israel did not send negotiators to the latest round of talks in Cairo.
“We are showing the required flexibility in order to reach a comprehensive cessation of aggression against our people, but the occupation is still evading the entitlements of this agreement,” Hamas declared.
Such nice fellows. Remind me to send them a card this Ramadan.
Blinken met with Benny Gantz in Washington on Tuesday, to discuss a six-week cease-fire. His spokesman, Matthew Miller, told reporters, “I can say that the secretary was quite direct and quite frank in his conversations today about the urgency of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
On Tuesday, a reporter asked White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby: “The president was asked this morning how his relationship was with Netanyahu these days and he responded ‘Like it’s always been.’ And then he smiled.”
Kirby responded, “Yup. I don’t know if I can improve upon that.”
The reporter asked, “What would you add to that?”
Kirby answered, “I wouldn’t. I still like my job.”
Eight more months of that, and then maybe someone else will have his job.
