Trump Says Israel Will 'Withdraw,' For Reals This Time
According to Al-Monitor, Trump's social media missive declared that Israel's "withdrawal line" has been shared with Hamas, and if they confirm, a ceasefire becomes "immediate." This, coming from the same playbook that saw Netanyahu declare 'victory' and 'withdrawal' after every prior Gaza escalation since 2008 – often followed by more bombs. Remember 2014, when the 'withdrawal' rhetoric came right
before Operation Protective Edge massacred 2,251 Palestinians, 1,462 of them civilians, according to the UN? It appears some 'withdrawal lines' are more conceptual than geographical. How many times must the Israeli government 'agree' to a 'withdrawal' from territory they refuse to recognize as occupied? This isn't a peace negotiation; it's a 'Groundhog Day' sequel nobody asked for. Apparently,
'immediate' ceases in the Middle East operate on a different temporal plane, much like accountability for war crimes. One truly wonders if the phrase 'withdrawal line' simply means a new, more strategic position for continued military operations.