U.S. officials knew the Israeli government systematically undermined ceasefire negotiations for months while U.S. public statements blamed Hamas for impeding agreements. Israeli leaders allegedly killed deals as they neared conclusion by making private commitments and then publicly sabotaging accords or adding last-minute conditions designed to fail. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly told U.S. officials he wanted to continue fighting in Gaza for "decades." U.S. diplomats opted not to publicly call out Israeli intransigence to avoid complicating negotiations. Some Hamas negotiators withdrew when they perceived divisions between the United States and Israel.
The former top State Department spokesperson has admitted that the U.S. knew the Israeli government was systematically sabotaging ceasefire negotiations for months - even as he stood on the podium and spread the lie to the press and the public that it was Hamas standing in the way of a deal. In a report by Israeli outlet Channel 13 published Thursday, former Biden administration official Matthew Miller said that Israel repeatedly and openly killed ceasefire deals when they were nearing a conclusion. In fact, he said, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly admitted to U.S. officials that he wanted to continue fighting in Gaza for "decades."
As such, Israeli officials would make promises in private, but then make public statements to destroy an agreement, or would introduce new conditions at the last minute that they knew would be a non-starter, all with a goal to "try and sabotage" a deal, Miller said. "There were times that we very much wanted to go public and make clear that we thought the prime minister was being completely intransigent and making it tougher to get a deal. But we discussed it amongst ourselves, and we made the decision that it wouldn't accomplish anything," said Miller.
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