Report Claims Trump Threatened To "Abandon" Israel, US Official Denies
Tel Aviv:
As Israel intensified its offensive in Gaza to take "total control" of the Palestinian territory, some of its closest allies, including the United States, might be threatening to withdraw their support from Jerusalem in the face of mass starvation in the enclave. The Trump administration has warned the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu government that Israel's failure to conclude the war in Gaza would lead to a withdrawal of American backing, according to a report by The Washington Post.
Quoting an anonymous source familiar with the discussions, the newspaper reported that Trump's representatives have informed Israel that the US will "abandon" the country if it does not end the war.
"Trump's people are letting Israel know, 'We will abandon you if you do not end this war,'" the source said.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt also said that "The president wants the war in Gaza to end," following last week's surprise release of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, which was secured through direct US-Hamas negotiations without Israel's involvement.
The report about the Trump administration's behind-the-scenes pressure followed a very public exclusion of Netanyahu during US President Donald Trump's Middle East visit last week. During his tour, where he met leaders of Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Trump said that "a lot of people are starving" in Gaza.
"People are starving. Terrible things are happening there," Trump said, adding that during a call with Netanyahu in April, he asked him to allow more food and medicine into the enclave. "Gaza came up, and I said we need to be good to Gaza. People there are suffering."
Pressure Mounts From Other Allies
The leaders of Britain, France and Canada on Monday also condemned Israel's "egregious actions" in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt a heightened military offensive in the Palestinian territory.
Starmer, Macron and Carney slammed Israel's blocking of aid and comments by ministers in Netanyahu's government who have threatened the mass displacement of Palestinians.
"We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response," the leaders said.
They did not say what action could be taken but added: "We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end."
Netanyahu's U-Turn
Netanyahu seemed to be responding to the mounting pressure, saying on Monday that he'd be willing to end the conflict "if the remaining hostages are released, Hamas lays down its arms, its murderous leaders are exiled and Gaza is demilitarised."
He also said it was necessary for Israel to prevent a famine in Gaza for "diplomatic reasons", after his government announced it would allow limited food aid into the territory. "We must not let the population (of Gaza) sink into famine, both for practical and diplomatic reasons," Netanyahu said in a video posted to his Telegram channel, adding that even "friends of Israel" would not tolerate "images of mass starvation".
This was the first time Israel publicly acknowledged the threat of hunger in Gaza, despite repeated warnings from global hunger experts. Israel has said its blockade since March 2 was aimed at forcing concessions from the Palestinian group.
'US Official Deny Report'
Israeli media countered The Washington Post report, quoting a US official who reportedly said there may be disagreements between Washington and Jerusalem, but "the idea that we would abandon Israel is preposterous."
Talking to Times of Israel, the US official also denied reports that Israel's agreement to allow a small amount of aid into Gaza on Monday after a 78-day blockade was part of a secret deal with Hamas that saw the terror group release American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander last week.
"This was a goodwill gesture. The release was unconditional," the US official told The Times of Israel.
US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, also reportedly dismissed The Washington Post report. "Their reporting is nonsense. They need to listen to what the President says - not what some uninformed 'source' pretends to know," he told Ynet news site.
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