Israel Hayom analyst Ariel Kahana corrects reports that Mohammed Dahlan said Jared Kushner promised Israel would stop targeted killings in Gaza. Kahana writes that Kushner informed Dahlan he is 'working with the Israeli side' to stop the attacks, but no commitment has been given. Kahana also reports that the narrow cabinet strongly opposes the American demand, with Minister Smotrich leading the opposition.
Israel Hayom analyst Ariel Kahana this morning corrected reports that Mohammed Dahlan claimed U.S. envoy Jared Kushner promised Israel would halt targeted killings of Hamas operatives in Gaza. According to Kahana, Dahlan actually said that Kushner informed him he is 'working with the Israeli side to stop the attacks'—meaning a request has been made, but no Israeli commitment has been received. Kahana also reports that the narrow security cabinet strongly opposes the American demand, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich among the leading opponents.
The clarification follows a rapid sequence of reports overnight Saturday that initially appeared to suggest a breakthrough. At 01:15 Jerusalem, the Quds network quoted a Palestinian factions source saying mediators had informed them that Israel would cease military escalation and targeted killings starting Sunday. Shortly after, The Times of Israel quoted a senior Palestinian official who named Kushner as the source of that assurance. Former Fatah senior Mohammed Dahlan was then identified as that official. However, by the same hour, a separate Palestinian interlocutor had retracted the claim, stating no such agreement had been reached. The initial reports were published without official Israeli confirmation, and the retraction underscored the unreliability of the unverified claims.
The Zioneer has reported extensively on the Gaza Peace Council framework, which calls for a phased halt to Israeli operations and the storage of heavy weapons under Palestinian control, while Israel insists on full disarmament as a precondition. As The Zioneer reported on Friday, the Peace Council has been pushing for a halt to targeted killings of Hamas operatives who are rebuilding their power, a position Israel Hayom analyst Ariel Kahana called 'unacceptable' last week. The 20-point plan that the framework is based on required Hamas to disarm months ago, which it did not.
It remains unclear whether Israel will agree to any halt to targeted killings. The narrow cabinet strongly opposes the American demand, and a targeted killing was carried out in Gaza on Saturday, indicating that Israel is not complying with the request. The Peace Council's assumption that Hamas weapons will be 'stored' rather than removed remains a point of contention, as Israel insists on full disarmament.
6 developments
- DevelopingAriel Kahana: Peace Council seeks halt to targeted killings, position 'unacceptable'
- StrongYossi Eliezer flags Dahlan's Gaza halt claim, questions authenticity
- DevelopingAriel Kahana: Netanyahu again selling himself and the public illusions about Gaza threat
- DevelopingSaudi report claims US committed to Hamas not to let Netanyahu sabotage Gaza deal
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