June 9, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: The U.S. and Israel and Hamas have both proposed cease fire “term sheets” for the Gaza genocide. However, the Israeli press openly says they are trying to trick Hamas. The U.S./Israeli plan has loopholes which will allow Israel to resume its genocide once its hostages are released. For example, the Hamas plan has an explicit process to reach a permanent cease fire, but the U.S./Israeli plan lacks such specifics. Hamas proposes relinquishing its governance of Gaza to an independent committee of Palestinians, but the U.S./Israel plan makes no statement about governance. Hamas wants the free flow of people and commercial goods through the Rafah crossing with Egypt. Hamas also wants a personal and public guarantee from Donald Trump to uphold the cease fire. Steve Witkoff has rejected the Hamas term sheet as “totally unacceptable.” Why? On Wednesday the U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate and permanent cease fire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and the “immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions” on the entry and distribution of aid into Gaza. This was the only “no” vote.
The U.S. and Israel have set up the “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation” (GHF) to deliver aid to Gazans, but it is a sham. It provides a fraction of the 500 trucks of aid that entered Gaza daily before the genocide. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees system, which Israel shut down, distributed aid through 400 distribution sites, but this one uses only four. There are hundreds of trucks with aid waiting to enter Gaza, but Israel forbids this. If Israel genuinely wanted to end the Gaza famine, all they need to do is allow these trucks to proceed into Gaza. U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned the GHF as violating international law. Israel has been shooting and killing Palestinians seeking aid from the GHF. EDWARD QUBAIN Lexington
