DayofPal– Hamas has accused Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, of reneging on a behind-the-scenes deal that led to the release of a U.S.-Israeli soldier captured in Gaza.
The movement says promises of humanitarian relief and political pressure on Israel never materialized despite what it calls a gesture of goodwill.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official and political bureau member, revealed to Drop Site that a quiet agreement had been struck with Witkoff.
In exchange for the release of Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli dual national captured by Palestinian fighters on October 7, 2023, the Trump camp would push Israel to ease its stranglehold on Gaza, allow humanitarian aid, and support a ceasefire.
Instead, Naim says, “They didn’t just violate the deal, they threw it in the trash.”
Alexander’s release this week marked a rare moment in the ongoing war. He is the first male Israeli soldier freed since the start of the war, which has spiraled into what aid groups now call a humanitarian catastrophe.
But in the aftermath, any hope for relief quickly vanished. Less than 24 hours later, Israeli forces bombed the European Hospital in Khan Younis, killing at least 28 people in an airstrike reportedly targeting a top Hamas commander.
For many in Gaza, the message was clear; the gesture meant to spark peace only triggered more attacks.
During a recent Gulf tour, Trump acknowledged the famine conditions in Gaza. “A lot of people are starving,” he said in the UAE. But Hamas dismissed the remarks as empty rhetoric.
“We are looking for actions, not words,” Naim responded. “The humanitarian disaster must end immediately.”
In February, Trump had floated controversial proposals to reshape Gaza’s future, including turning the devastated strip into a “freedom zone” and luxury destination under U.S. management.
Standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he even discussed a possible U.S.-Israeli joint governance structure.
Meanwhile, the Trump-backed “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” is set to begin operations by the end of May. But aid groups and the UN have condemned its design.
Relief efforts will bypass Hamas and be tightly controlled under Israeli security protocols, reaching only parts of southern Gaza far from the millions displaced in the north.
Critics say it amounts to weaponizing food. “This is not aid—it’s control,” said one UN official who asked not to be named.
Naim said further prisoner releases are now off the table. “No more gestures,” he said. “Only a full ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal will justify new negotiations.”
In recent days, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 230 Palestinians and injured more than 200. In the north, evacuation orders and nonstop bombings have left hospitals overflowing and ambulance crews overwhelmed.
Paramedics report pulling children and elderly from rubble, only to have hospitals run out of supplies or space.
Hamas said that negotiations have collapsed entirely. “Zero progress,” Naim stated. “They went back to the old Israeli plan, as if Alexander’s release never happened.”
Israeli media confirmed that Witkoff had recently withdrawn from talks in Doha, signaling the U.S. would no longer pressure Israel to halt its military operations.
A leaked “Witkoff draft” showed that key terms, like a permanent ceasefire and full withdrawal, had been stripped from earlier agreements.
Instead, the latest U.S.-proposed roadmap includes partial Israeli withdrawals, ongoing military oversight, and full disarmament of Hamas, conditions Naim called “non-starters.”
He likened the Trump team’s approach to market speculation. “It’s like the stock exchange. Morning, noon, and night—they change their position,” he said.
For Hamas, it’s known that unless Washington forces Israel to shift course, the war, and the suffering, will continue.
“As long as Israel behaves like a rogue state with no consequences,” said Naim, “these negotiations are pointless.”
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=63010
