More lies from Miller
US: Israel will open Rafah crossing for fuel deliveries on Wednesday
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says “Hamas did not accept a ceasefire proposal.” “Hamas responded and in its response made several suggestions. It’s not the same as accepting,” Miller told reporters in Washington, DC.
He said Israel told the US it will open the crucial Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in Rafah on Wednesday. “Israel has committed to reopen Kerem Shalom tomorrow. We’re working to make sure that actually happens so humanitarian assistance can continue to come through.”
Miller suggested Israeli ground forces taking over the crossing and massing near Rafah doesn’t mean a large-scale attack is imminent.
“It is not our assessment that a major military operation has begun at this point. But that can obviously change at any moment, and we’ll continue to make clear that’s not one we can support.”
PM Netanyahu ‘stands to pay a very, very significant personal price’
Ori Goldberg, an Israeli political commentator, says the current ceasefire proposal on the table has been agreed by both sides, but Israeli officials are backtracking to stall for time.
“Based on Israel’s record in these affairs in past wars, this is last-minute posturing. This is an attempt to appear tough and also an attempt to appease Netanyahu’s base, the right-wing elements inside Israel,” he told Al Jazeera.
But the fact that an Israeli delegation is now in Cairo for talks shows it has “little manoeuvrability left”.
“I think it’s been made very clear to Netanyahu that he stands to pay a very, very significant personal price if something doesn’t happen very soon,” said Goldberg. “The Israeli-American relationship is probably the worst its ever been.
“There is no victory in this [for Israel]. None of the goals set out have been met. The management of the war has been catastrophic to say the least.”
Well Miller is trying to help Netanyahu out by stalling for more time and denying Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal.
‘The goal is to destroy Gaza’: Why Israel rejects a truce with Hamas
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/7/the-goal-is-to-destroy-gaza-why-israel-rejects-a-ceasefire-with-hamas
For many analysts, the Israeli government’s message is clear: there will be no permanent ceasefire, and the devastating war on Gaza will continue.
“The last couple of days have proved that Israel was not really negotiating in good faith. The moment that Hamas agreed to a deal, Israel was willing to blow that up by commencing their assault on Rafah,” said Omar Rahman, an expert on Israel-Palestine with the Middle East Council for Global Affairs, a think tank in Doha, Qatar.
US Congresswoman calls on Biden to ‘use his power’ to stop Rafah assault
US Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has called on President Biden to use his leverage with Israel to stop an assault on Rafah, where Israel had previously instructed displaced Palestinians to seek shelter. Palestinian sheltering there have nowhere left to go and humanitarian officials have warned that an Israeli assault would be a disaster for civilians.
“Israeli forces are attacking Rafah, the final place of refuge in the Gaza Strip,” Pressley said in a social media post.
“Over 1.4M Palestinians are sheltering there & are facing more death & destruction. @POTUS called an Israeli invasion of Rafah “a red line” & must use his power to stop this attack. #CeasefireNOW”.
Israeli forces are attacking Rafah, the final place of refuge in the Gaza Strip.
Over 1.4M Palestinians are sheltering there & are facing more death & destruction.
@POTUS called an Israeli invasion of Rafah “a red line” & must use his power to stop this attack. #CeasefireNOW https://t.co/45YNbv3wpC
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) May 7, 2024
