GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 205

Who Can Israel Trust?

Rushing To Find A Deal

As Israel signals that the Rafah offensive is on track, negotiators are hurrying to find a hostage deal that would put those plans on hold as we read in a report from i24news.tv:

As tensions continue to escalate between Israel and Hamas, Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict, has called on both parties to demonstrate greater commitment and seriousness in reaching a ceasefire agreement.

With pressure mounting for a resolution to the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza, Qatar's diplomatic efforts underscore the urgency of finding a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis.

Qatar is hopeful a deal can be made if both sides commit to it:

In an interview with Israeli media outlets, a senior Qatari official emphasized the need for renewed commitment from both Israel and Hamas to achieve a ceasefire. They stated, "If there is a renewed commitment from both parties, I am sure we can reach an agreement." This plea comes amidst stalled negotiations and escalating violence, highlighting the critical importance of dialogue and compromise.

Despite their efforts, the negotiations are effectively stalled:

Despite international pressure and diplomatic initiatives, including efforts by Egypt, discussions between Israel and Hamas have encountered significant challenges. The official lamented the current impasse, noting that talks have effectively stopped with "both sides remaining entrenched in their positions."

The current areas of contention are surely that Hamas wants Israel to leave Gaza, end the war and then they’ll talk about hostage releases. Israel will take a pause to exchange hostages for terrorist prisoners but won’t stop the war to do it. Regardless of the hostage deal talks, humanitarian aid is still being discussed:

In addition to diplomatic efforts, Qatar has defended its provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Addressing allegations of aid misuse, a Qatari official stated, "The aid that was delivered was under the control of international organizations, and there was a monitoring process for all families, as well as a reporting mechanism to Israeli agencies."

Internal Dissent Brewing

Not everyone is on board for pausing the war as we read in an article from the Jerusalem News Syndicate:

The government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will lose its legitimacy if it accepts the “humiliating surrender” proposed to Hamas during ongoing hostages-for-ceasefire-and-terrorists negotiations, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday.

The reason is that some reports are that an end to the war is actually being considered:

Axios reported on Saturday that the deal being discussed includes significant compromises by Israel and that, for the first time, Jerusalem is considering ending the war in the Gaza Strip.

New terms conveyed to mediator Egypt include a willingness to discuss the “restoration of sustainable calm” in Gaza.

Netanyahu previously dismissed the terrorist group’s demand to end the war before it is totally defeated as “delusional.”

Smotrich encouraged Prime Minister Netanyahu to go into Rafah immediately:

In a video message, Smotrich urged the premier to order the Israel Defense Forces to immediately enter the last Hamas stronghold of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip “with all its might.”

Agreeing to the terms currently on the table would be tantamount to “a victory for the Nazis at the expense of hundreds of brave IDF soldiers who fell in battle. It would impose a death sentence on the [133 remaining] hostages and, above all, constitute an immediate existential danger to the State of Israel,” said Smotrich.

His logic is that previous deals always leave Hamas to live another day:

“Egyptian-brokered deals that finished previous rounds [of warfare] and left Hamas alive and kicking, and allowed it to strengthen time and time again and slaughter Israeli citizens in a way that hasn’t happened since the Holocaust, is exactly how you’ve [Netanyahu] led [Israel] for the past two decades. It’s exactly what we all promised would not be repeated this time,” added the minister.

“If, God forbid, you decide to wave a white flag by canceling the order to immediately occupy Rafah and complete the mission of destroying Hamas, restoring security to the residents of the south and to the citizens of Israel and returning all our hostages—our brothers and sisters—to their homes, your government will have no right to exist,” stated Smotrich.

According to some reports, Hamas will respond to the latest offers on the table in 48 hours. I don’t see Hamas agreeing to anything other than a total ceasefire and I don’t see Israel totally ending the war so where people are seeing hope is beyond me.

Is The US Behind Push For War Crimes?

One source says the current push by the International Criminal Court to issue warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu is supported by the United States as reported by WND.com:

As Israel's relationship with the United States – or with the Biden administration specifically – continues to deteriorate from brittle to disastrous, reports have emerged that the American superpower is behind moves encouraging the International Criminal Court, or ICC, to issue arrest warrants against Israel's leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to British author and journalist Douglas Murray – who has spent much of the last few months since Oct. 7 in Israel to cover the war – fellow Brit Karim Khan, an ICC prosecutor, is gearing up to bring a war-crimes case against Israel.

"Specifically, Khan wants to bring individual cases against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and a head of the Israeli army, most likely the chief of the general staff," Murray wrote in the New York Post.

The big surprise is that this move is being approved by the United States:

This follows a claim that U.S.-Israeli journalist Caroline Glick posted on X on April 24.

"Israel's senior officials may imminently be subjected to arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court at the Hague. And according a "very senior officials" at the Hague who spoke with Amit Segal, Israel's top political reporter, the U.S. is behind it all.

"'There is no way the Chief prosecutor would decide on such a dramatic step, in a war still ongoing without first getting at least a 'green light' from the Americans,'" Segal reported they said. Khan was elected to his position in February 2021, with U.S. backing.

Some in the US are objecting:

The United States – in the form of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken – has voiced strong objections to the Palestinians joining the ICC.

On April 19, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., posted a warning on X saying that, "I am putting ICC officials on notice:

"If you side with Hamas and Iran (allies of Putin) and enter the political battlefield against Israel, you will be sanctioned.

"Get your dollars out of the U.S. now and say goodbye to ever visiting America again.”

The article ends by questioning any move by America to interfere with the war:

Why does the United States seem to be playing both sides of the ball with regard to its "policy" about the ICC and Israel? At the same time as it is against the Palestinian Authority becoming ICC members, it seems to have given the green light to one of the court's prosecutors to bring charges against democratically elected officials in an important ally in the Middle East. Moreover, the war for which charges will likely be brought, is still ongoing.

It shouldn't matter how frustrated the Biden administration is with the Netanyahu government – not least because at least the plurality of Israelis feel the same. If the reports are true, then it is nothing short of unconscionable interference in a sovereign country's democratic process – and will likely not redound to Washington's benefit.

If true this is yet another reason why Israel can’t trust anyone internationally to consistently support them. And it’s another reason why we need to continue to pray for the peace for Jerusalem as the mission in Rafah could be the tipping point in winning the war against terrorists.