Witkoff Pulls Rabbit from Hat, Saves Ceasefire Deal
Feb. 13—Hamas officials announced this morning that they would release three Israeli hostages Feb. 15, as scheduled, reversing a previous decision to halt all such releases, which gave the Butcher of Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu the excuse he needed to announce an end to the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal and the relaunching of his bloody campaign to exterminate all Palestinians.
Mediators from Qatar and Egypt were taking credit for bringing Hamas back to its senses, and getting them to agree to the hostage release, but well-informed sources report that they were getting nowhere until Steven Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, and all trouble spots, arrived on the scene late Tuesday, March 11.
Witkoff had been away in Moscow for two days, negotiating the release of an American teacher held by the Russians, and setting up yesterday’s dramatic call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in which both leaders announced their intentions to seek a negotiated end to the bloody NATO war in Ukraine against Russia, with negotiations to begin soon, led by Witkoff on the U.S. side.
But while Witkoff was away, Hamas committed what has been almost universally described as a “stupid blunder” in declaring Feb. 10 that it would halt the remaining scheduled releases of hostages mandated by Phase I of the ceasefire agreement, until Israeli violations were halted. As of today, however, after talks with mediators Egypt and Qatar, and under pressure from President Trump, Hamas’ leadership, though split on the question of the two-state solution, reversed themselves and returned to their commitment to all three phases of the ceasefire/hostage deal negotiated by Witkoff and forced on Bibi last month. Hamas said hostage returns will now go ahead Saturday in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.
“They were trying to show that they still had power,” said the source, who has contacts in the region and the Trump White House. “A stupid and arrogant move, given the intent of Bibi to find any excuse to walk out of negotiations for the second stage of the deal and to relaunch his bloody war. And with no one there to counsel him otherwise, Trump let his mouth get ahead of his brain, and expressed his frustration over the lack of positive response—or rather the universal revulsion—to his Gaza resettlement and redevelopment plan, and demanded that if Hamas did not release ALL remaining hostages by Saturday, Feb. 15, 'all hell will break out' against them. This sent Bibi into a manic fit of joy, with him and his lunatic murderer-associates all declaring the same, with various bloody metaphors.
“This is what Witkoff faced when he re-entered the situation,” the source continued. “He literally told Trump, don’t be stupid. If Bibi starts the killing again, the whole world, including the American people, will blame YOU. We have to stop the slaughter and end this war—and especially not get YOU to take the blame for the work and intention of the maniac Bibi. Witkoff told Trump that he would go to the Middle East and Israel to try to rescue the deal. He communicated to the other mediators that the U.S. does not want the war to restart. Find a way to get them to release the three hostages.
“Witkoff pointed out that Trump had really said that it was up to the Israelis to respond, not him, and that he would go along with what they would do. He said that he would get the Israelis to accept the release of the three hostages and force them to return to the table to negotiate the next phase, Phase II, where all the remaining living hostages would be returned in exchange for a pull out of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] from Gaza.
Witkoff then told the mediators that he, Witkoff, would get the Israelis to resume the flow of aid, including tents and construction equipment, and fuel to Gaza—as Hamas had asked. But he also told them to say that if the war restarts under present conditions, it will not end until every member of Hamas is dead, and that the blood of all the people in Gaza would be on the hands of Hamas, not just Bibi’s, as it was they who abandoned the ceasefire. Hamas, or at least its saner elements, agreed.”
“Witkoff told Bibi that Trump wants the killing to stop,” said the source. “If Hamas says they will release the hostages, the President expects you to continue in the deal, and negotiate the next phase in good faith. He pointed out that Trump says a lot of things, but ‘you cannot count on support for your bloody war, if the other side wants to negotiate. The President will say that his tough talk helped keep peace on the table. Under these new circumstances, the U.S. cannot support your war.’ People have told me that Bibi was deflated and cursed Trump.
Witkoff has also communicated to various Israelis that whatever the Trump plan is and what it could be, under no circumstances does it allow for any Israeli settlements in Gaza or any annexation. If the U.S. was in charge of Gaza—they would shoot any Israeli settlers. Of course no one will say this publicly, but you can count on it. This has also gotten Bibi very upset.”
Israeli Prime Minister’s Office Spokesman David Mencer told reporters Thursday that Israel will now adhere to the original cease-fire deal as long as Hamas hands over three living hostages. “If those three are not released, if Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end,” Mencer blustered, knowing full well that they will be.
“We are not interested in the collapse of the cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, and we are keen on its implementation and ensuring that the occupation [Israel] adheres to it fully,” Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said. “The language of threats and intimidation used by Trump and Netanyahu does not serve the implementation of the cease-fire agreement.”
Other sources have said that Hamas, instead of making like tough guys and declaring a unilateral halt to the hostage and prisoner exchanges, should have brought their concerns to the mediators, who would have then brought them to Witkoff to see what could be worked out. “But we are not dealing with sane people here. They are the flip side of Bibi, who helped create them with money and weapons,” the source said. “They are murderers and torturers. Many agree with what [Hamas’ assassinated leader Yahya] Sinwar said about being willing to accept a million martyrs to defeat Israel. Hamas members have killed members of Fatah [the Palestinian Authority’s largest political and military power]. Hamas will never allow anyone to rule Gaza but themselves. And they don’t give a damn about what the Palestinian people think or want, or their lives. The hope is that Hamas can be split, with the saner people among them willing to lay down their arms and work with and live in peace with Israel as part of a viable Palestinian state.”
The focus now turns to the negotiations for the second phase of the deal. Witkoff intends to keep the pressure on both sides to come up with something. “Bibi has lost this gambit,” said a source. “And where Trump has some strange affinity towards Bibi, Witkoff has none, and sees through him. Bibi gave an interview recently, claiming that Witkoff did not force the ceasefire deal down his throat, as reported. He stupidly claimed that the deal was made at his, Netanyahu’s, initiative. But Bibi knows that the source of the reports about how he was forced to eat the deal was Witkoff himself, who has reportedly cautioned Trump about expressing any sympathy for Bibi, as Bibi now faces new pressure from court trials for his corruption. Witkoff says the Israeli people know Bibi is a crook and believes that Bibi’s weakened position gives Trump and himself a chance to hold Bibi’s ass to the fire and keep the peace—at least for the time being.”
The negotiations for the second phase of the deal are expected to re-start soon after the hostage release takes place Saturday.
