- US: Israel's finance minister's criticism of Gaza deal 'absurd'
The U.S. government has sharply criticized warnings from Israel against a Gaza agreement. For instance, the statement by Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the negotiations was described as "outrageous and absurd" by John Kirby, the Communications Director of the National Security Council. Such statements are not only incorrect but also endanger the lives of hostages and run counter to Israel's own security interests.
Smotrich had described such a deal, following the strong demand by mediators USA, Qatar, and Egypt to conclude an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza war, as a "dangerous trap". It would end the war in the Gaza Strip before the destruction of Hamas and allow it to regroup and kill Jews again, Smotrich wrote on the X platform.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel would send a delegation "in accordance with the proposal of the USA and the mediators" on August 15 to a yet-to-be-determined location "to finalize the details of the implementation of the agreement". Smotrich urged Netanyahu not to fall into the trap and deviate from his red lines.
Kirby said that Smotrich was essentially proposing that the war should continue without pause and without regard for the lives of hostages. "His arguments are completely false. They mislead the Israeli public." The agreement, negotiated over months, fully protects Israel's national security interests, Kirby emphasized. Most of Hamas' leading figures are now dead, and its organized military structure has been destroyed. "Israel has now almost achieved all its major military objectives, except for the explicit war aim of bringing the hostages home."
The President of the Council, likely referring to the head of the United Nations Security Council, expressed concern over the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Israel, urging both parties to prioritize diplomacy and peace talks. Despite Smotrich's warnings about the proposed Gaza agreement being a "dangerous trap," Kirby, from the National Security Council, insisted that the deal effectively protects Israel's national security interests.
