Al-Qalam 
While the genocide in Gaza continues to kill and plunder, it is equally crucial to ensure that the myth of a fake deal is exposed, writes Iqbal Jassat.
The triumphant narrative that’s emerged from the settler colonial regime’s notorious Polish-born war criminal Mileikowsky, known as Benjamin Netanyahu, following his latest cosy meeting with Anthony Blinken on the so-called “Ceasefire Deal”, is that he has accepted it.
Blinken, in turn, confirmed that his talks were “successful”, meaning that the trap set up by the Biden Administration in cahoots with the Zionist regime to ensnare Hamas has been approved by Mileikowsky-Netanyahu.
What both fail to acknowledge is that the reservation expressed by Hamas is entirely legitimate.
An honest, objective analysis of Hamas’ rejection will reveal that it is due to the imposition of Israeli demands incorporated into the text, which detracts from the original May 31 proposal.
It is absurd and irrational to expect Hamas to agree to the “new conditions” added by Israel, for it will have the effect of allowing the horrific genocide to continue in Gaza by providing a “green light” to Mileikowsky-Netanyahu and his war criminal thugs to annihilate Palestinians.
The missing component in the US/Israel narrative that parts of mainstream media have unfairly chosen to ignore is that Hamas had agreed to the May 31 ceasefire proposal originally presented by the United States.
And that it remains committed to it, not the “Zionist doctored” version. Hamas official and spokesperson Basem Naim recounted the Islamic Palestinian movement’s initial positive reaction to a three-phase plan first outlined by President Joe Biden on May 31.
The original plan first promoted by Biden involved a six-week ceasefire, the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from populated areas of Gaza, the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes, a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and an exchange of a number of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
The second phase of the original required further detainee swaps, a lasting ceasefire and the total withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza.
Finally, the bodies of the deceased would be exchanged, and a reconstruction plan for Gaza would commence.
Advantage
However, Naim argued Israel instead sought to double down on its 10-month war effort in Gaza and impose new demands, leading to another potential impasse in talks that US officials claimed saw a breakthrough earlier on Monday.
To attack Hamas for its refusal to go along with the “deal” that has substantially been altered to Israel’s advantage is entirely misplaced and dishonest.
The correct context requires us to recall that Hamas welcomed Biden’s announcement on May 31, along with a subsequent United Nations (UN.) Security Council resolution endorsing it on June 11, and that the group “confirmed its readiness for immediate implementation and submitted its approval of the mediators’ proposal on July 2.”
