Israel officials say that the Trump administration gave them the “green light” to break the ceasefire and resume attacks on Gaza. And recent U.S. war crimes haven’t been limited to Palestine.
Israel was backed into a corner on the eve of its return to war because Hamas was forcing Netanyahu to honor the ceasefire deal he had signed. Confronted with his own internal political challenges, Netanyahu’s only choice was to blow up the deal.
Hamas said that it would release Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander and the bodies of four deceased Israeli captives. The announcement has backed Israel into a corner in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
Israel has suspended the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and resumed targeting Palestinian civilians, bringing the ceasefire with Hamas the closest it has even been to collapse.
In the midst of fragile ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel is escalating its military aggressions in the region, begging the question: is Israel experiencing a moment of unprecedented force, or is it afraid of betraying unprecedented weakness?
Donald Trump posted an AI-generated video to social media showing him and Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing together in Gaza as Elon Musk eats hummus outside a resort called “TRUMP GAZA.”
The Israeli army expanded its “Iron Wall” offensive in the northern West Bank, sending tanks into Jenin for the first time in two decades and announcing that displaced residents from Jenin and Tulkarem would not be allowed to return to their homes.
Following a handover ceremony in Gaza for Israeli captives, during which one Israeli soldier kissed the heads of two Hamas fighters, an outraged Netanyahu suspended the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Trump is threatening to let “all hell break loose” after Hamas paused the release of Israeli captives in response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire. But make no mistake, this is exactly what Israel wants.
As shocking as Donald Trump’s call for the U.S. to “own” Gaza may be, his policies can be seen as a continuation of the previous administration. Trump’s strategies might be different, but his objectives remain largely the same.