Hamas Speaks Out Against Fake “Ceasefire Deal”

Iqbal Jassat

Safar 16, 1446 2024-08-21

Daily News Analysis

by Iqbal Jassat

Mustafa Hafez School in Dar al Balah, Gaza City bombed by Israel on August 20, killing 12 children (Photo Credit Anadolu Agency)

The triumphant narrative that has emerged from the settler colonial regime’s notorious Polish-born war criminal Mileikowsky (aka Benjamin Netanyahu), following his latest cozy meeting with Anthony Blinken on the so-called “Ceasefire Deal”, is that he has accepted it.

Blinken in turn confirmed that his talks were “successful”, meaning that the trap set up by the Biden regime in cahoots with the zionists to ensnare Hamas, has been approved by Mileikowsky-Netanyahu.

What both fail to acknowledge is that the reservation expressed by Hamas is entirely legitimate.

An honest objective analysis of Hamas’ rejection will reveal that it is due to the imposition of Israeli demands incorporated into the text which detracts from the original May 31 proposal.

It is absurd and irrational to expect Hamas to agree to the “new conditions” added by Israel.

It will have the effect of allowing the horrific genocide to continue in Gaza by green lighting Mileikowsky-Netanyahu and his war criminal thugs to annihilate Palestinians.

The missing component in the US/Israel narrative that parts of western mainstream media has unfairly chosen to ignore, is that Hamas had publicly backed the May 31 ceasefireproposal originally presented by Joe Biden.

And that it remains committed to it, not the zionist-doctored version new being peddled.

Hamas official and spokesperson Basem Naim, recounted the Islamic Palestinian movement’s initial positive reaction to a three-phase plan outlined by Biden on May 31.

The original plan involved a six-week ceasefire.

It included the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from populated areas of Gaza, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and an exchange of a number of Israeli prisoners for Palestinians kidnapped from their homes.

The second phase required further detainee swaps, a lasting ceasefire and the total withdrawal of zionist occupation forces from Gaza.

And finally, the bodies of the deceased would be exchanged and a reconstruction plan for Gaza would commence.

Naim argued that Israel sought to double down on its 10-month genocidal war on Gaza and impose new demands.

This led to another potential impasse in talks that US officials claimed saw a “breakthrough” earlier on August 19.

To criticize Hamas for its refusal to go along with the “deal” that has been altered substantially to Israel’s advantage, is entirely misplaced and dishonest.

The correct context requires us to recall that Hamas welcomed Biden’s announcement of May 31.

Subsequently, United Nations Security Council Resolution No. 2735 endorsed it on June 11.

The Islamic resistance movement “confirmed its readiness for immediate implementation and submitted its approval of the mediators’ proposal on July 2.”

Hamas is, therefore, correct to accuse Mileikowsky-Netanyahu of deliberately manipulating the terms of the deal, for it allows him to continue the zionist goal of ethnic cleansing.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Osama Hamdan made Hamas’ position clear: a ceasefire deal must result in a permanent end to Israel’s war on Gaza.

“The Israelis have retreated from issues included in Biden’s proposal. Netanyahu’s talk about agreeing to an updated proposal indicates that the US administration (sic) has failed to convince him to accept the previous agreement.”

It is, therefore, not only erroneous but misleading and dishonest for Biden to say that Hamas was “backing away” from the deal agreed to by Israel.

In its response, Hamas said it was wrong to depict their stance as “backing away”.

Instead, they stressed that they remained eager to reach a deal provided the provisions are based on the earlier framework (May 31).

Just as it remains necessary for the world, especially civil society to not let their guard down while the genocide in Gaza is continuing result in death and destruction, it is equally crucial to ensure that the myth of a fake deal is exposed.

Iqbal Jassat is Executive Member at the Media Review Network, Johannesburg, South Africa

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