The world is no longer buying Netanyahu’s rhetoric

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might think he can convince the world of the validity of his approach on Gaza but — as it has now become known even to most Israelis — no one is buying Bibi’s used goods.

For 17 months, Netanyahu has been running away from his internal problems, using Palestinian blood and his war criminal, US-supported army to help him.

Let us go over the facts first.

Israel on Tuesday unilaterally broke the ceasefire it had signed in January. The pre-dawn attack, which hit while those fasting for Ramadan were having their sahoor meal, killed and injured hundreds. Israeli fighters bombed locations throughout the Gaza Strip.

The ceasefire agreement signed by Israel and guaranteed by Qatar, Egypt and the Biden administration was partly made possible by Donald Trump and his aides. Trump took credit for his alleged role in making the ceasefire agreement.

One of the most important clauses was that Israel would begin negotiations for the second phase with the aim of ending the war. The time for these talks to begin passed and Israel did not show up.

The agreement considered this potential scenario and stated that, if no agreement on the second phase was struck, the ceasefire would continue and that no hostages need to be released. However, it is now claimed that the Palestinian resistance movement refused an offer to release five living hostages. Hamas, which last week held direct talks with American negotiators, instead agreed to release an Israeli American soldier and the bodies of four more dual nationals. But the fact America held talks with Hamas alone caused Israel to reject a deal that would have resulted in the release of an Israeli soldier.

The fact America held talks with Hamas alone caused Israel to reject a deal that would have resulted in the release of an Israeli soldier

Daoud Kuttab

Israel’s leader, just like the US president, continues to spew threats and demands about releasing all the hostages, even though Hamas is insisting on sticking to the signed agreement, which it has not violated.

The targets of the latest attacks were supposedly Hamas leaders, but the reality is that women and children again bore the brunt. Axios reported that some of those targeted were only “mid-level” Hamas commanders. Sure, the names of some top Hamas leaders were produced but, over the past year and a half, many Hamas leaders Israel claimed to have assassinated have miraculously appeared on live TV during the release of hostages to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The war crime of killing a massive number of civilians occurred while another war crime was continuing: the collective punishment of nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. Since March 2, Israel has placed the entire Gaza Strip under a hermetic, illegal siege. No food, water, medicine or humanitarian aid has been allowed in. Electricity, which is needed to power the only water purification plant still working in the Strip, was also cut off a week later.

Israelis, especially the families of the hostages, have long been able to debunk the reasons given for such attacks

Daoud Kuttab

As a result of this illegal siege, the price of basic food items has escalated. By midday on Tuesday, a carton of 30 eggs, which used to be sold for 9 shekels ($2.45), was being sold for a whopping 90 shekels, meaning individual eggs cost 3 shekels each. Tomatoes had risen in price from 10 shekels to 30 shekels and a bag of pita bread, after a three-hour wait, had doubled in price from 6 shekels to 12 shekels. A 25 kg sack of wheat, which used to be sold for 20 shekels, was being sold for 80 shekels.

Ordinary Gazans cannot afford to buy these basic food items. Meanwhile, the international community — including a president who says he is against wars — has given a green light to both the siege and the deadly attacks that killed hundreds of civilians. While the Trump administration is said to be trying to save allegedly encircled Ukrainian soldiers, the slaughter of Palestinians amid a deadly siege continues.

Israelis, especially the families of the hostages, have long been able to debunk the reasons given for such attacks. Meanwhile, former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who bolted out of the coalition when the ceasefire was signed in January, is now back in the government and seeking the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza.

The saying “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me” is apt for Netanyahu’s tireless efforts to hoodwink the world. Fortunately, the world is no longer fooled, however, most are not willing or able to put a stop to these war crimes couched in false justifications.

• Daoud Kuttab is an award-winning Palestinian journalist and former Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. He is the author of “State of Palestine NOW: Practical and logical arguments for the best way to bring peace to the Middle East.” X: @daoudkuttab