A four-day truce extended to six, the release of Israeli captives by Hamas fighters secured, and trucks rolling into Gaza with aid deliveries, all gave the impression of positive humanitarian gestures from Israel.
However, that is far from the truth.
Israel had categorically forbidden any form of celebrations for the release of the Palestinian prisoners, under threat of being re-arrested.
Palestinians celebrated anyway.
When it comes to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Israel has failed to win global public opinion.
Israel lost the war on day one, when Operation al-Aqsa Flood was executed by Hamas resistance fighters, shattering the illusion of Israeli invincibility.
The truce is another sign of Israel’s failure, since it was not able to achieve one of its stated principle goals, the destruction of Hamas.
According to Hamas Israel has also suffered a military defeat.
Since October 7th around 80 Israeli soldiers have been removed from the equation by Hamas fighters, while 385 tanks have also been destroyed.
Another front on which Israel has suffered a humiliating defeat is the social media front. Not only has Israel lost the information war, but also Western media, no matter how hard they tried, could not silence pro-Palestinian voices.
Social media networks, such as Facebook, have also tried in vain to block and delete anti-Israeli posts, which they have labeled ‘anti-semitic’. However, Facebook approved ads that contained sentences like ‘murder Palestinian civilians, wipe out Gazan women, children and the elderly’.
The US has played a dubious role when it comes to its stance on the Israeli war on Gaza.
On the one hand, the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken is said to want to press Israel to end the war in his upcoming trip to the region.
On the other hand, the US president will move to grant Israel unfettered access to the US weapons stockpile.
The US president has also said that eliminating Hamas is very difficult, but not impossible, which is part of the reason why pro-Palestinian protests have continued unabated around the world since many see the US as Key in ending the war.
Many celebrities have come out in support of Palestine and against the unwavering US support for Israel, especially when it comes to military aid.
US actress and activist Cynthia Nixon has launched a hunger strike, calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza in front of the White House in Washington DC. An unprecedented move by a Hollywood actress
To have a hunger strike to get attention but also to say, yes, we are bombing and killing Palestinians in that way, but we are also starving them. 7% of the nutrition that’s needed for a population of 2 million people has been allowed into Gaza. And so, certainly, many people are dying from bombs, but so many people in Gaza are on the precipice of starvation. And so that’s why we’re having a hunger strike to reflect the horror of that.
Cynthia Nixon, Actress and Activist
She was joined by state legislators and activists.
I think about how much anxiety and depression and fear and all those emotions that Gazans are feeling every day.
Madinah Wilson-Anton, Delaware State Representative
We have lost an entire society. Cities have been flattened. And if President Biden does not demand a permanent ceasefire all of Gaza could be lost.
Iman Abid, Activist, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Israel is so afraid of the backlash that the Israeli lobby has offered $20 million to a candidate of Arab descent to compete with US Senator Rashida Tlaib in the Michigan elections
I was offered $20 million dollars to withdraw from the senatorial race, and run against my friend, Rashida Tlaib.
Nasser Beydoun, Candidate for US Senate (Michigan)
As if that wasn’t enough, the Israeli lobby is so worried about US Congress dissent due to the war that it has reportedly spent vast amounts of money trying to purge its critics from the Democratic Party.
The pro Israel lobby will go to any length to remove anybody from the US Congress that has any opposition to their agenda and their total, unequivocal support for Israel. Good, bad or indifferent.
Nasser Beydoun, Candidate for US Senate (Michigan)
