Trump’s envoy promised ceasefire but failed to deliver

AhlulBayt News Agency: A senior Hamas official has claimed that US special envoy Steve Witkoff personally assured the Palestinian resistance group that the US would pressure Israel to end the Gaza blockade and allow humanitarian access within two days of freeing American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.

Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, stated that Witkoff also promised that Trump would publicly call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and initiate negotiations for a permanent ceasefire.

“It was a deal,” Naim said, adding that the pledge was made by Witkoff himself.

Naim explained that Hamas was assured that if Alexander was released, Trump would thank Hamas, oblige Israel to open borders for aid, and call for ceasefire negotiations.

However, Naim accused the US administration of discarding the agreement, stating, “They didn’t violate the deal. They threw it in the trash”.

This week in Doha, Witkoff and Adam Boehler, the White House special envoy on captives, held discussions with Israeli negotiators and regional mediators from Qatar and Egypt.

Despite public optimism from US officials, Naim dismissed any signs of progress, calling it “Zero. Big zero.”

Naim criticized the US-Israeli approach, stating that discussions had reverted to previous Israeli proposals, ignoring the release of Alexander and prior agreements.

On Monday, Hamas announced the release of Edan Alexander, citing contacts with the US administration and efforts to achieve a ceasefire, open crossings, and deliver aid to Gaza.

During his Persian Gulf tour, Trump briefly commented on the Gaza conflict, acknowledging the humanitarian crisis and stating, “A lot of people are starving. A lot of people. There’s a lot of bad things going on.”

Naim noted Trump’s remarks but pointed out that just a day earlier, Trump had floated the idea of the US taking control of Gaza, calling it a “freedom zone”.

He expressed skepticism about reaching a deal unless Trump pressures Israel, arguing that Netanyahu enjoys impunity from the US and Western countries.

“As long as Israel has a free hand and behaves as a spoiled boy, as a rogue state, they can do it again and again,” Naim added.

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