US Says 'Phase Two' of Gaza Truce, Omits 'Phase One Was Starvation'
According to France 24, the US is heralding a 'phase two' truce in Gaza, citing the formation of a Palestinian committee. This comes after months where the US vetoed multiple ceasefire resolutions at the UN Security Council, directly enabling Israel's extensive military campaign and blockade. (One might recall President Biden's consistent 'ironclad' support, even as civilian casualties mounted by
the thousands.) These 'phases' of peace talks consistently follow phases of destruction, presenting concessions wrung from a devastated population as diplomatic triumphs. The US, having supplied critical weapons—like the 2,000-pound bombs used in Rafah—now cheerleads a 'truce' when there's barely anything left to bomb. It's a grotesque performance, where the architect of the crisis congratulates
itself for brokering a temporary pause in the violence it helped unleash. One has to wonder, how many phases of 'truce' will it take for basic human rights to become, well, basic? And how many more 'committees' will form before the US addresses the root causes of the conflict, instead of just managing its catastrophic symptoms?