Hamas accused Trump of aiding an Israeli “deception operation,” but the movement says it wants to bridge the gaps and make a deal.
18 March 2025.. Israel unleashed “hell” on Gaza in horror air-strikes, smashing the ceasefire and killing at least 413 Palestinians including women and children.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump touted the new U.S.-promoted Gaza “ceasefire” framework as the “final proposal,” but while it contains some substantive changes to the previous terms crafted by the U.S. and Israel, the plan would still allow Israel to resume its genocidal war against the Gaza Strip after an initial 60-day truce. “Trump is a crucial part of Israel’s deception operation,” a Hamas official told Drop Site News.
“The United States and President Trump are committed to work to guarantee the continuation of the negotiations with goodwill until they reach a final agreement,” the draft says, according to the Arabic language version given to Hamas. It adds that Trump will personally announce the deal.
The official characterized the proposal, which was also obtained by Drop Site, as containing mostly “rhetorical changes,” though he acknowledged that some of the amended language describing Trump’s desire to end the war was clearly aimed at convincing Hamas to support the agreement.
The Hamas official said the “new” draft was largely a repackaging of terms that the U.S. and Israel tried to strong arm Hamas into accepting in late May. That deal would have allowed some Israeli forces to remain entrenched in Gaza, offered no clear guarantees for a permanent end to the war, and allowed Israel to effectively maintain control of food and aid distribution in Gaza.
Among the apparent concessions to Hamas in the document, one involves the timing of the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza. Israel had wanted ten living captives released within a week of a ceasefire taking effect, while the new proposal would see eight released on the first day and the remaining two on day 50. Hamas has expressed concern that Israel would resume the war after retrieving its captives.
According to another section of the potential agreement, once Hamas agrees to a ceasefire, then deliveries of food, medicine, and other aid will commence immediately and will be distributed through “agreed channels,” including the United Nations and the Red Crescent. It states that this would be done “in accordance with an agreement to be reached regarding aid for the civilian population.” A Hamas official said the phrasing would continue to allow Israel to treat humanitarian aid as “negotiable.” It makes no mention of the U.S.-Israeli “aid” scheme run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
On TruthSocial Wednesday, Trump wrote, “Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,” adding, “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better—IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.”
Israel has halted all humanitarian aid to Gaza, citing a refusal by the militant group Hamas to extend phase one of an internationally brokered ceasefire deal that expired on Saturday.
But extending phase one was not part of the agreement.
The Israeli prime minister’s office made the announcement in a post on X on Sunday.
“With the conclusion of the 1st stage of the hostages deal and in light of Hamas’s refusal to accept the Witkoff framework for the continuation of the talks, to which Israel agreed, PM Netanyahu decided: as of this morning, entry of all goods & supplies to the Gaza Strip be halted,” the statement read.
West Jerusalem has accused Hamas of rejecting a ceasefire extension
According to the public broadcaster Kan, Israel believes that enough aid has entered the enclave in recent weeks to sustain Hamas for months.
According to the Witkoff framework, a proposal by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, the truce should be prolonged during the Ramadan and Passover holiday period through April.
Hamas rejected the plan on Saturday, urging Israel to move forward with the second phase instead.
Brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, the ceasefire deal is supposed to encompass three phases, each lasting 42 days.
The first phase included a truce and a prisoner exchange. The second phase is intended to create a long-term cessation of hostilities, the release of all remaining captives, and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The third phase should focus on Gaza’s reconstruction under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar, and the United Nations.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Qatar-based Al Araby TV on Saturday that no talks were underway regarding the second phase of the agreement.
Israel is reluctant to proceed to the next stage because it wants to secure the return of the remaining hostages while keeping the option of resuming hostilities open, Qassem claimed.
In reality Israeli attacks have never ceased, with hundreds of ceasefire breakages.
And now Israel refuses to release their quota of Palestinian “hostages” despite receiving theirs from Hamas as promised.
On Sunday, Hamas described Netanyahu’s decision to halt humanitarian aid into Gaza as “cheap blackmail” and a “coup” against the ceasefire deal. The militant group also previously accused Israel of truce violations.
In the first phase of the agreement, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages, including the bodies of those deceased, in exchange for roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Fifty-nine hostages remain in Gaza, with Israeli assessments indicating that at least 35 of them are dead.
“Israel will not allow a ceasefire without the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu’s office stated on Sunday, threatening “further consequences” if Hamas continues to say no to the proposal.
The hostages were abducted during the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people. In the past 16 months, nearly 47,000 people in Gaza have been killed, according to the enclave’s health authorities.
Children play with fireworks on the rubble of destroyed buildings in Bureij – but Israel resumes bombing after ceasefire hour..[Eyad Baba/AFP
The way Hamas and its elements on the ground communicate is not conventional. It’s not anyone picking up the phone and deciding where to go or where to find someone. It’s much more complex and with drones deployed in the skies of the Gaza Strip and with fighter jets, movements become very, very hindered and very restricted..
This could be the technical reasons Hamas is referring to, that it’s not moving freely and it will take time to get the list because as of now, nobody knows where the hostages or the captives are at, and it will take time.
And the past three days have been quite intense in terms of bombardment in terms of the drones deployed in skies..
Now imagine a mechanism that involves going on the ground, particularly if you are on a list, if you are wanted, if you are a member of the fighting groups and you are moving based on instructions, a chain of messengers moving messages and communicating on the ground. It takes a long time.
It takes also a great deal of caution as well as of diligence to avoid being harmed.
We have captives everywhere and it doesn’t surprise me if there are some of them are in northern Gaza or Gaza City or central area or the Rafah city. Nobody knows the exact location.
And the 15 months of devastation and the ongoing attacks technically prevented anyone from the top of the pyramid in the leadership to the grassroots the ground from communicating properly and locating exactly each one of these captives about their whereabouts, about their safety.
15m ago
(06:25 GMT)
The moment the Israel-Hamas truce was to take effect
It is now 8:30am local time (06:30GMT) in Israel and Palestine.
This is the moment that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was supposed to take effect in Gaza.
But as we’ve been reporting, the Israeli prime minister has said the truce will not happen unless Hamas hands over the names of the captives it will be releasing later today.
Hamas has blamed technical reasons for the delay, but said it remains committed to the terms of the truce.
Images of Israeli captives, who were kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, hang from a tree at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 17, 2025 [Amir Cohen/Reuters]
The Israeli prime minister had already alluded to this last night.
Under the agreement, Hamas needs to give the names of the captives it will release today. It should have done that 24 hours before the captives were to be released. So, essentially yesterday.
And that hasn’t happened.
So, now we have confirmation from the Israeli PM’s office, basically telling the army that the ceasefire will not go ahead – and that is due to start in the coming minutes – unless they get the names from Hamas.
The Palestinian group has also issued a statement saying this is due to technical reasons.
What does that mean? Well, Hamas doesn’t communicate with a phone call, obviously. They use messengers. And they are very much aware of surveillance, even though under this agreement, Israel should stop surveillance for 12 hours so that Hamas can move the captives inside Gaza to the border and hand them over.
So, putting this into context, there’s so much international pressure on both sides that it is very difficult to see how this ceasefire would not go ahead.
Will there be delays? Potentially at this point in time.
I’m pretty sure that Qatar will be putting incredible pressure on Hamas if indeed these names have not been handed over to do so. We’ll have to wait to see what happens next.
25m ago
(06:15 GMT)
Israeli military restricts movements in Gaza
The military has issued a statement, renewing its warnings to Gaza residents, warning them not to approach its forces until further notice.
Here’s what the statement says:
We warn residents against approaching the Netzarim axis in light of the forces’ current operations.
You must not approach the area of the Rafah crossing, the Philadelphi Corridor, and all areas where the army is deployed.
Fishing or swimming is prohibited along the coast of the Gaza Strip, and you must not enter the sea in the coming days.
It is forbidden to approach Israeli territory and the buffer zone or move from the south to the north through the Gaza valley to avoid exposing yourself to danger.
40m ago
(06:00 GMT)
Mixed feelings in Gaza as ceasefire set to take effect
It’s the first time in 15 months that the skies above me right here in the central area and across the Gaza Strip are relatively quiet, but we know the scars of the war are still fresh, and the challenges to recovery are quite immense.
The feelings here are quite mixed. People are showing a sense of excitement and happiness.
We are minutes away from the ceasefire taking effect. However, we know people will not be able to go back to their homes until seven days from the time it takes effect, meaning they will have to stay where they are.
Movement is quite restricted and limited as per the instructions the Israeli military put out, along with a map that has been circulating for the past 24 hours, warning people not to get close to where soldiers are deployed, including the Netzarim junction and the Philadelphi Corridor.
People are looking forward to returning to their homes in the northern part of Gaza City. They are also looking forward to mourning their loved ones properly, especially those who were killed and whom they were unable to reach in the past few months.
There is agony as well, as many sole survivors don’t have any of their family members left to celebrate with them at this particular moment.
Throughout the night, the Israeli drones kept buzzing, causing psychological trauma and disconnecting them from the feeling that there is a ceasefire that is going to happen.
The Israeli military also carried out strikes in Khan Younis, targeting many areas as well as in the north.
42m ago
(05:58 GMT)
Hamas cites technical reasons for delay in naming captives
The Palestinian group has issued a statement on Telegram, reaffirming its commitment to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
It said the delay in handing over the names of the captives to be released in the first phase is due to “technical and field reasons” on the ground.
We’ll bring you more on this as soon as we have it.
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53m ago
(05:46 GMT)
Netanyahu says ceasefire won’t begin until Hamas names captives to be freed: Report
Israel’s Ynet News is reporting that the prime minister has told the Israeli military that the ceasefire, which is to begin at 8:30am local time, will “not begin until Israel has the list of released hostages, which Hamas has pledged to provide”.
The outlet did not provide additional details.
The report comes after Israeli media said Hamas is yet to provide the names of the three female captives it is supposed to release today.
Earlier, Ynet News, citing an unnamed Hamas source, said the Palestinian group is blaming the delay on technical reasons.
The source told Ynet that Hamas members communicate “physically via emissaries and it takes time to agree on the names and the location of the hostages when [Israeli military] planes are still above them”.
The country’s foreign minister has said the cease-fire in Gaza must lay the groundwork for an independent Palestinian state
South Africa’s International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola has welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas after 15 months of Israel’s devastating assault on Gaza.
In a statement issued by the departmental spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri following the Israel and Hamas agreement, the South African government, which has been vocal in its stance against the Israeli occupation of Palestine, called for the implementation of a “just and lasting peace” that ensures the human rights of both Palestinians and Israelis are protected and promoted.
“The ceasefire agreement is a crucial first step toward ending the severe humanitarian crisis faced by the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has deemed to be plausibly genocidal.
”The ceasefire must lay the basis for a just peace, which should include the establishment of a contiguous, independent, and viable Palestinian State.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs hailed the Gaza ceasefire as a victory for Palestinian unity and Resistance, emphasizing it as a pivotal moment in the struggle against the Israeli occupation’s “colonial eradication plan targeting the Palestinian nation.”
”The Palestinian sovereignty and territorial integrity must be upheld. It is imperative that no land is annexed in either Gaza or the West Bank following the ceasefire and that illegal settlement expansion is halted.”.
Phiri stated that, by the ICJ’s successive rulings, the occupying power must adhere to the provisional measures prescribed by the ICJ.
”Immediate and massive humanitarian aid is urgently needed to provide relief to civilians in Gaza. All obstacles to delivering humanitarian assistance must be lifted immediately and unconditionally, allowing civilians unrestricted access to essential food, water, shelter, and healthcare,” said Phiri.
The department reiterated that international and humanitarian laws must be respected and upheld.
Meanwhile, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance said the atrocities committed against innocent civilians in Gaza cannot go unaddressed.
”We welcome the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza, a crucial step after 15 months of relentless bombing and destruction that have inflicted a holocaust upon the Palestinian people, resulting in over 100,000 men, women, and children killed,according to the latest Lancet report.
“This ceasefire is not merely a temporary halt to violence; it is an opportunity for survivors to mourn their dead, bury their loved ones, and begin the arduous process of rebuilding their lives and communities.
“The scale of suffering, loss of life, and destruction is staggering, and we demand accountability for the perpetrators of these heinous acts. Those responsible for war crimes must be prosecuted to ensure justice for the victims and to prevent further atrocities in the future,” read the statement.
The organisation urged the international community to support reparations for the victims of the violence, helping to restore dignity and provide necessary resources for rebuilding lives.
In addition, the movement called for immediate and unrestricted access for health workers, journalists, and other international observers to enter Gaza after facing a blockade by the Israeli government.
Furthermore, it said the ongoing occupation, illegal settlements, and de facto annexation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem must come to an end, as affirmed by the ICJ Advisory Opinion.
Israel has apparently shelved its planned attack on Iran. A combination of circumstances can be attributed to this retreat, which rubbishes Israel’s own high-pitched rhetoric that it was raring to go.
Russia aligns with Iran, War Clouds Scatter
Despite Israel’s brilliant media management ( read -Lie Machine-), reports have surfaced that the Iranian missile attack on October 1 was a spectacular success.
One single person was admitted killed, yet it was a display of Iran’s deterrence capability to crush Israel, if need arises. The failure of the US to intercept Iranian hypersonic missiles carried its own message.
Damage by Iranian missile
Iran claims that 90 percent of its missiles penetrated Israel’s air defence system, exclusively aimed at military bases, yet also creating general terror as sirens screamed and the population took cover.
Will Schryver, a technical engineer and security commentator, wrote on X: “I don’t understand how anyone who has seen the many video clips of the Iranian missile strikes on Israel cannot recognise and acknowledge that it was a stunning demonstration of Iranian capabilities.
(Iran then threatened that if Israel responds it will destroy its few Electricity Generating Stations, ports and main industries.)
Iran’s ballistic missiles smashed through US/Israeli air defences and delivered several large-warhead strikes to Israeli military targets.”
Evidently, in the ensuing panic situation in Israel, as the US president Joe Biden put it, as of October 4, there had been no decision yet on what type of response Israel should mount against Iran.
“If I were in their [Israeli] shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,” Biden said, fearing his party would lose the elections if oil prices exploded, in a rare appearance in the White House briefing room a day after Israeli officials were still saying that a “significant retaliation” was imminent.
Biden added that Israelis “have not concluded how they’re — what they’re going to do” in retaliation. Biden also told reporters that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should remember US support for Israel when deciding on next steps.
In this pantomime, it is safer to believe Biden, as the honest truth is that without US inputs and practical help, and money — and direct intervention — Israel simply lacks the stamina to take on Iran.
But here too, it is debatable how self-sufficient Israel is vis-a-vis Iran. Reports have appeared that it was the US’ new technological intel that pinpointed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Nasrallah and other leaders whereabouts, which was passed on to Israel, leading to their assassination.
Israel’s regional dominance narrows down to executing assassination plots, massacring unarmed civilians.
(Indeed the very creation of Israel was hastened by a series of terriorist bombings against the British administration of Palestine after World War 2. Ever since the Zionist fanatics behind the Israeli Regime have relied on an ‘Anything Goes’ policy to achieve its colonial goals.
All with sugar coated false morality and victimhood. )
ANONYMOUS BACKS GAZA VICTIMS WITH MASSIVE HACK ATTACK ON ISRAELI WAR STATE see below
”This post on the Gaza horror is 6 years old. It could have been written today. Israel will never change its policy of State terrorism while it is sponsored by the biggest bully on the block :the USA. The fascistic government needs a few Israeli deaths to prop up falling support for its national/religious regime.”admin
Israel must end its provocations and cycles of retaliations if it ever wants to achieve peace.
Criminal Israeli State provokes yet another one-sided Cycle of Terror
If Israel ever hopes to stop the cycle of brutal violence, it must take negotiations more seriously, writes Bishara [AFP]
Watching the escalation in Israel/Palestine and the preparations for a possible all-out assault on the Gaza Strip, one hears many insightful and original commentary. Alas, when it’s original it’s usually inaccurate, and when it’s right it’s hardly new. Netanyahu, like his predecessors, is using the assassination of Hamas’s leader Ahmad Jabari and subsequent escalation to undermine the Palestinian leadership’s (Hamas and Fatah’s) political standing and improve his own political chances, by underlining Israel’s national security over economic security as the core issue preoccupying the nation, ahead of the elections. To make the point, here’s a piece I published six years ago titled, “Mideast: End the cycle of retaliation“, with minor changes of dates, names etc. As they continue to repeat themselves tirelessly and recycle the same claims, I shall repeat my analysis…( * 0nly changes are in yellow italics)
It has been one and a half year, and let’s face it, almost all that our movement has been able to produce are assemblies and demonstrations. I’m getting tired of those. My head starts spinning if I think of all the millions and millions of man-hours spent in talking and listening to other people’s bull shit without any practical result at all. Continue reading “Spanish Revolution: Call to Occupy empty Bank property”
The Free 