“Gaza has won, Palestine has won, resistance has won. Imperialism, Zionism and the Democratic Party has lost”, posted one activist, on 15 January, as exultant crowds of thousands poured into the streets of Palestine, euphoric with triumph and relief.
Middle East Eye reporter, Yasmine El-Sabawi posted, “Overwhelmed with emotion watching Palestinians in Gaza erupt in long-awaited relief & joy at the news of a ceasefire agreement.”
Yes, Donald Trump did it. He just pulled another realpolitik rabbit out of the diplomatic hat, by securing a ceasefire truce between Hamas and Israel.
ART OF THE DEAL, IN ACTION
For the people of Gaza, this truce is seen as a victory for the Palestinian resistance, marking the end of 15 months of genocide and ethnic cleansing, by a brutal apartheid regime, in the largest open prison in the world.
Apparently, Trump himself was the first leader to officially announce that a hostage-ceasefire deal had been struck, when he posted the news, short and sweet, on his truth social, saying; “We have a deal for the hostages in the Middle East. They will be released shortly. Thank you!”
The ceasefire, brokered by Qatar and Egypt, was again announced by Qatari Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani, late on Wednesday, 15 January.
This groundbreaking deal is being seen by many analysts as nothing short of miraculous.
The only real confusion seems to be…who gets the credit for it?
AND THE CREDIT GOES TO…
In his latest show, British politician and analyst, George Galloway made no bones about it, in a monologue titled; “The day Israel died.” “It’s a Day of Victory”, he said. “It’s Donald Trump’s victory, there is no doubt whatsoever about that. Before even taking office Trump has brought about an end – albeit maybe a temporary end – to one of the most shocking and horrific passages of human history since the Second World War.”
Times of Israel reported that one of the Arab officials mediating the deal said, “The Trump envoy swayed Netanyahu more in one meeting than [Joe] Biden did all year.”
Of course, Trump probably preempted the compromise between Israel and Hamas when (sounding like a strict dad, warning his naughty kids to have their room cleaned up before he gets home from work) he said; “If those hostages aren’t back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East.”
SEND IN WUNDERKIND, WITKOFF
However, the lion’s share of the credit seems to point not to Biden or Trump, but to Republican Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff. Many pundits and MAGA campers were sceptical when Trump appointed this tough, Jewish-American, real-estate billionaire as his Middle East Envoy.
The hard-boiled New Yorker turned South Floridian has no official training as a diplomat, and his appointment epitomises Trump’s disdain for traditional bureaucrats and graduates who lack private sector “streetwise” experience.
“Witkoff has no interest in diplomatic manners and protocols,” said a senior Israeli diplomat. “He’s a businessman who wants to reach a deal quickly and charges ahead aggressively.”
‘SHABBAT MEANS SH*T TO ME’
This was clearly demonstrated last Saturday when Gaza ceasefire talks were down to the wire and faltering. Witkoff wanted to thrash out the deal with Netanyahu, but the PM’s office said Bibi (who’s not an observant Jew, unless he needs to be) could not be disturbed during Shabbat.
Apparently…Witkoff’s “blunt, salty” response to Netanyahu’s aides was something like; “F*ck you! Shabbat means sh*t to me, we’ve got a war to end!” Bibi promptly dropped everything and met with Witkoff, who returned to Qatar to seal the deal.
Nobody knows exactly what Witkoff said to Netanyahu when they met, only that, after a few hours, “conditions that Netanyahu had termed life-and-death issues, suddenly vanished”, and Bibi reluctantly agreed to the deal – a deal he repeatedly rejected in the past.
TRUMP MADE A DEAL…BIBI COULDN’T REFUSE
As Haaretz reported; “Benjamin Netanyahu, who rejected this same hostage deal when the Biden administration proposed it months ago, has now been bulldozed into wide-ranging concessions. For the hostages, and for Israel, this is the only morally correct end to an unbearable saga.”
One of the officials mediating the deal also said:“The Trump envoy swayed Netanyahu more in one meeting than Biden did all year.”
In a speech announcing the deal, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed al-Thani praised Witkoff for “pushing the ceasefire across the finish line.”
ISRAEL ATTACKS GAZA DURING TALKS
After news of the deal broke, journalist, Glenn Greenwald posted; “Israeli media and Netanyahu’s closest allies are adamant that Trump forced them into a cease-fire deal for Gaza they didn’t want, something Biden never even tried.”
While the peace talks were underway, Israel kept up the bombing killing at least 48 Palestinians. Tuesday, the day before the truce, the IDF killed two journalists, Mohammed Al-Talmas and Ahlam al-Nafed. Just moments before a ceasefire deal was announced Israeli forces killed award-winning Palestinian journalist, Ahmed Abu al-Rous, bringing the death toll of reporters killed to 205, since October 2023.
THE GAZA-ISRAEL TREATY TERMS
The ceasefire truce consists of three phases that will come into effect on Monday, 20 January – the day of Trump’s inauguration – and unfold over a span of 42 days.
Phase one: Involves the release of 33 captives, including “children, women, female soldiers, men above 50, and the wounded and sick,” as well as a gradual, partial withdrawal of invading Israeli units.
Roughly 1,000 Palestinian security prisoners will be released in exchange, and Israel will partially withdraw from Gaza, facilitating humanitarian aid into the Strip each day.
However, we’re not totally out of the woods after phase 1. Phase 2 has to be agreed upon. On the 16th day of the first phase, negotiating teams will begin holding talks regarding the terms of the second phase. Those talks will also focus on frameworks for the postwar management of Gaza.
Phase two: Will see the release of the remaining living hostages and conclude with a declaration of a permanent ceasefire. In his ceasefire announcement, Biden said; “Phase 2 is a permanent end of the war. Let me say that again, a permanent end of the war.”
Phase three: Will see the release of bodies still held by Hamas.
BIDEN STEALS CREDIT FROM TRUMP’S DEAL
Of course, the ink was barely dry on the treaty, when Biden was at the podium (looking sprightlier and sounding more lucid than usual) taking credit for Trump’s victory.
“The elements of this deal are what I laid out in detail this past May,” Biden said. “The road to this deal has not been easy. I’ve worked in foreign policy for decades. This is one of the toughest negotiations I’ve ever experienced.”
Biden also said; “I knew this deal would have to be implemented by the next team, so I told my team to coordinate closely with the incoming team to make sure we’re all speaking with the same voice…because that’s what American presidents do.”
As Biden was about to leave, he was asked flat-out by a reporter; “Who deserves the most credit for this (deal), Mr President, you or Trump?” Biden, obviously unable to resist a parting jibe, said; “Is that a joke?” Before walking offstage.
Great, we got a ceasefire! But will it hold? Given Israel’s history of failed ceasefires…probably not. Within hours of the truce, Netanyahu was already accusing Hamas of reneging on hostage deal terms.
WHAT WAS THE TRADE-OFF?
Many analysts, pundits and commentators wonder what it was exactly that Trump promised Netanyahu, to convince him to take the deal. Some believe it was partly due to Trump’s totally unpredictable move last week of reposting the damning Jeff Sachs video.
Some believe Trump has greenlit Bibi’s annexure of the West Bank and promised to lift the sanction on Israel’s NSO Group, the Spyware company at the centre of the Pegasus Papers.
On this, Gazan Writer & Analyst, Muhammad Shehada tweeted; “Trump’s “gift bag” also includes lifting all sanctions on Israel’s spyware, Pegasus, and allowing major West Bank land theft.”
‘NO DEALS WITH THE DEVIL!’
While the Palestinians are delighted with the deal, Zionist Israelis are not feeling the love and elation so much, with many of them suffering complete meltdowns over the compromise.
After the deal was struck, bereaved families who lost loved ones fighting in Gaza marched to Netanyahu’s office in Jerusalem, vowing to block the entrance in protest against the proposed hostage deal and Gaza cease-fire.
The families and Demonstrators chanted “A freed terrorist is tomorrow’s murderer” and “No deals with the devil.”
TRUMP FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE?
The signing of the ceasefire treaty has given the Palestinians what they’ve always asked for (since May) but has not given the Israelis what they want – which is to wipe Hamas and (let’s be honest) Palestinians in general off the Middle-Eastern map. Hardly surprising, since the general attitude of most (Zionist) Israelis, towards the unhinged genocide of women and children in Gaza, tends to be something like this.
Safe to say, if Trump pulls off a similar deal with Russia-Ukraine, AND stops Bibi from going to war with Iran…it’s going to be pretty easy to predict the next Nobel Peace Prize winner. Love him or hate him, Trump did it. And for that, as the Yanks like to say (about a man they find difficult to dislike); “Ya gotta love him.”
And let’s not forget to salute the people of Gaza – for their courage and tenacity. Like Galloway said, “Donald Trump achieved it, he brought it to an end, but the resistance of the Palestinian people, their fortitude – almost superhuman in character – has again won the day.”
Will Trump’s Gaza-Israel ceasefire treaty hold – and bring about permanent peace in Palestine?
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