Trump ‘onboard’ with Netanyahu’s depopulation plan for Gaza, analyst says

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All sides have a little bit of leverage as another row erupts over the Gaza ceasefire, but the US and Israeli sides are in a stronger position than Hamas, according to Omar Rahman, a fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs.

“Hamas is hoping that pressure would build inside Israel by Saturday and the momentum from the release of hostages would build and the public would pressure Netanyahu and Trump to come to terms,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Trump has proven himself easy to manipulate but difficult to predict,” the analyst said, adding that the US president wanted the ceasefire before coming into office and “Netanyahu was dragged kicking and screaming to that agreement” but Trump has now changed his rhetoric.

“Netanyahu allowed the release of some hostages, and then went to Washington to talk to Trump himself, and he got Trump to agree to the terms. His war goals are the destruction of Gaza, the displacement of the population and the elimination of Hamas,” he said.

Rahman said Israel managed to destroy much of Gaza but has failed in displacing its population and destroying Hamas so Netanyahu has now “gotten Trump onboard with the depopulation”.

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