Bibi Tries to Test Ceasefire But Finds Trump 'Ain't Playing'
Oct. 20—Israeli warplanes were in the skies over Gaza yesterday, raining destruction again on innocent Gazans, as the Israelis ordered reprisal for what they alleged was a Hamas attack on their position near the ruins of Rafah, which killed two Israel Defense Force soldiers. Israel also cut off all humanitarian aid to the Strip and closed the Rafah crossing to Egypt. But by day's end, the IDF announced that the airstrikes were over and its forces were returning to ceasefire status under the terms of the Trump Peace Plan, and that the aid shipments would resume and the crossing would reopen today.
“In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a series of significant strikes, the IDF has begun renewed enforcement of the ceasefire following its violation by the terrorist organization Hamas,” the Israeli military said in a statement today. “The IDF will continue to enforce the ceasefire agreement and will respond forcefully to any violation of the agreement.”
Civilian Toll and Netanyahu’s Role
Local officials said that the airstrikes killed at least 38 Gazans, mostly innocent civilians, including women and children, and wounded hundreds of others—a grim reminder of what Israel had subjected Gaza's population to for more than two years, since the Hamas massacre attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
That slaughter and genocide had been unleashed by the Butcher of Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, the same man who authorized yesterday's airstrikes. Bibi may have wanted the war to continue, but this time President Donald Trump and his team made sure it wouldn't and ordered Netanyahu to cease and desist, after the Israeli leader took actions without informing the President that could threaten the Trump Plan. Israel has the right to defend itself and respond to attacks, even under the ceasefire. Once the strikes were underway, Netanyahu was told that the response had to be swift and "proportionate," which it clearly wasn't.
To ensure that Israel would comply with his demands, Trump dispatched Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, along with Presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, to the region and Israel. Sources close to the White House report that the Trump team feared that Bibi was planning to relaunch his slaughter and genocide in Gaza after reports were received from the Israeli intelligence service, Shin Bet—now under the control of a Netanyahu crony—that Hamas was planning to launch a "major" attack on Israeli forces. American intelligence doubted the veracity of the Israeli sources, seeing no reason why Hamas would want to restart the war.
Hamas Response and Media Manipulation
In fact, intelligence sources report that Israel was continuing to fund various gangs and clans to fight Hamas, as they had during the war. Hamas moved to take out these threats, communicating their intention to restore order and block these Israeli-backed gangs from stealing aid and threatening Gazans to the White House. When the pro-Bibi media propaganda machine reported on this "Hamas violence," Trump initially said that he had approved what Hamas was doing to make things safe, until the International Security Force called for under the Trump Peace Plan could be put in place.
With Netanyahu providing background to the Zionist propaganda machine—which includes such press sewers as the flagships of Sir Rupert Murdoch's media empire The New York Post and Fox News—that Israel's intelligence indicated that Hamas was going to refuse to disarm, Trump readjusted his statements to demand that Hamas cease unnecessary violence against Gazans and commit to disarm, to which he added that if they did not, they would be forcibly disarmed.
Hamas communicated to Arab mediators to relay to the Trump team that they remain committed to the Trump Plan and that they had no intention of attacking the IDF or Israel but would continue to fight back against the gangs and clans backed by Israel.
False Flag Allegations and U.S. Intervention
Hamas also officially stated that they did not attack the IDF near Rafah, asserting that they are not able to operate in that IDF-controlled zone. A Hamas spokesperson said it was “unaware of any events or clashes taking place in the Rafah area, as these are red zones under the control of the occupation.”
This has led previously reliable intelligence sources to speculate that the attack on the IDF near Rafah was likely a "false flag" operation conducted by Israeli-controlled gang and clan members disguised as Hamas. This would fit warnings from these and other intelligence sources that Netanyahu was planning false flag attacks on Israeli forces so that he could restart the war.
Sources say that Witkoff and Trump have been made aware of such possibilities, which is why they moved quickly to shut down the Rafah incident. Sources report that Witkoff has been in touch with Netanyahu from the first reports of the incident and the airstrikes, of which the White House was not given warning. He told Bibi that the President wants reports of violations of the ceasefire to go to him and not be decided by the parties themselves. That said, the sources report, the Israelis were told to stand down if there is no further evidence of attacks.
Witkoff and Kushner were to meet with Bibi today. They will be reinforced by Vice President JD Vance, who will arrive within the next 24 hours.
Trump’s Message
"This first incident was a probe, not by Hamas, but by Bibi to see what he could get away with and try to assert that he is still the boss of what goes on in Gaza," said a source with decades of experience in the region. "But what he found is that Trump ain't playing, he wants his plan carried through to the end, and he has no intention of letting Netanyahu sabotage it. Would Bibi kill Israelis so that he could continue to exterminate Palestinians? There are people who believe that he let Oct. 7 happen so he could do just that. Regardless, he has already killed thousands of Israeli soldiers and even some of the hostages so that the war would continue and he would stay in power. What's two more, or even several hundred more. But Trump is not going to let him do that. Sure, he is not going to say anything publicly about what he really thinks, and he will continue to back Netanyahu by making boisterous threats against Hamas. But he ain't playing, and he will not let Bibi ruin the chance for peace that he, Trump, has fought for. And even as he does that, he cuts off Bibi's balls."
“They’re violent people. Hamas has been very violent, but they don’t have the backing of Iran anymore,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They don’t have the backing of really anybody anymore. They have to be good, and if they’re not good, they’ll be eradicated."
Iran's Role
The statement about Iran shocked people, but no reporter dared follow up. Sources close to the White House report that Iran played a crucial role in "sealing the deal" on the Trump Plan. According to these and other sources, the negotiations had come to an impasse because the Hamas leaders in the negotiations doubted that they could get the Hamas military wing to go along with the deal. Then, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, the leader in Gaza of the Hamas fighters, sent an urgent communication to Tehran, which had been Hamas's primary source of support. He asked whether Iran was prepared to resupply Hamas with weapons, munitions, and cash to pay its fighters. Supplies were running out, and without resupply they could not continue fighting, even as guerrillas. The answer came back: We can no longer supply Hamas with anything. We advise you to take the deal. A day later, Hamas agreed to the Trump Plan.
"What Trump said about Iran destroys one of Bibi's most important narratives," said the source. "Iran is the center of evil against which Israel fights for the 'good.' They are the backers of Hamas, and Hezbollah and Houthis. This ignores the facts that Bibi himself had funded and armed Hamas, so they control Gaza and fight against Fatah and a Palestinian State. But Bibi does not let facts stand in the way of his fairytales. This has to hurt, as does Trump's absolute refusal to back further strikes on an Iran with whom he wants to make a deal. Like I said, Trump ain't playing."