White House Reportedly Sent Netanyahu Scathing Message After He Violated Gaza Ceasefire
The White House reprimanded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for breaking the ceasefire between the country and Hamas, according to a report released Monday.
The private message came after Israel killed a top Hamas military commander and suspected architect of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack, Raed Saad, on Saturday, violating the peace deal brokered by President Donald Trump, Axios reported.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner have become frustrated with Netanyahu, two U.S. officials told Axios. (RELATED: How the US-Israel alliance has evolved, for better and worse, one year after Trump)
An official said Witkoff and Kushner were “unnerved by Israeli inflexibility on several Gaza-related issues,” according to Axios.
“If you want to ruin your reputation and show that you are not respecting the agreements, be our guest, but we will not allow you to ruin the reputation of President Trump after he negotiated the Gaza agreement,” the White House message read, according to a senior US official cited by Axios.
TOPSHOT – U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in the announcement of Trump’s Middle East peace plan in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, January 28, 2020. Trump said Israel was taking a “big step toward peace” by unveiling a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Today, Israel takes a big step toward peace,” Trump said, alongside Netanyahu, revealing details of the plan already categorically rejected by the Palestinians. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
An Israeli official confirmed that the White House was upset but said the message was softer, saying only “some Arab countries” considered the strike a violation of the ceasefire, according to Axios.
While U.S. officials said the White House was adamant that the killing was a violation of the deal, the Israeli official claimed Hamas had violated the ceasefire by attacking soldiers and smuggling weapons, the outlet reported.
“The assassination of Raed Saad, a major terrorist who worked day after day to violate the agreement and resume fighting, was carried out in response to these violations and was intended to ensure the continuation of the ceasefire,” the Israeli official told Axios.
The White House did not respond to The Daily Caller’s request to verify the post as soon as it was published.
Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said Sunday that the terrorist organization’s weapons “constitute a legitimate right guaranteed by international law to all nations under occupation,” according to the Times of Israel.
“We are open to considering any proposal to preserve this right while ensuring the creation of an independent Palestinian state and the self-determination of our Palestinian nation,” he continued.
Khalil al-Hayya, senior Hamas leader and main legislative candidate, smiles during an interview with AFP in his office in Gaza City on April 21, 2021. – Postponing the elections “even for a single day” will push the Palestinians “into the unknown,” al-Hayya warned in an interview on the eve of a long-awaited vote clouded by uncertainty. On May 22, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem are set to vote for the first time since 2006. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images)
The White House is also increasingly concerned about settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, believing that Israel’s policies are harming the administration’s efforts to extend the Abraham Accords to countries like Saudi Arabia, Axios reported, citing a senior U.S. official and a knowledgeable source.
The manager, however, believes that a balance can be found.
“The United States is not asking Netanyahu to compromise Israel’s security. We are asking him not to take actions that are seen in the Arab world as provocations,” the US official told Axios.
A US official also stressed the importance of de-escalation to Axios.
“The Trump administration is doing a lot of work to resolve this problem. But if Netanyahu is unwilling to take the necessary steps to de-escalate the situation, we are not going to waste our time trying to expand the Abraham Accords,” the US official said.
Trump is expected to meet with Netanyahu at the end of the month.
