Ceasefire deal extended, Israeli withdrawal from UN Human Rights Council and AI video of “Trump Gaza”
DEEYA GUPTA
On March 2, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu halted the movement of all goods and humanitarian assistance into Gaza as a part of the “Witkoff plan,” which proposes a seven week extension of the temporary ceasefire deal that President Biden announced on Jan. 15 following extensive negotiations led by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt. The original ceasefire went into effect on Jan. 19. The Witkoff Plan includes Hamas’ immediate release of half their captives. The other half would be freed after a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached, effectively abandoning the original ceasefire deal.
The agreement is structured in three stages. The framework seeks to secure the release of all Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip, including civilians and soldiers, regardless of their condition, in exchange for the release of an agreed upon number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. It also aims to restore lasting peace by establishing a permanent ceasefire, ensuring the withdrawal of Israeli military forces from Gaza and facilitating the region’s reconstruction.
The first stage of the deal saw the exchange of 25 living and eight dead Israeli hostages for approximately 1,500 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Additionally, the first stage resulted in a surge in humanitarian aid for Gaza. Between Jan. 19 and Feb. 28 nearly 1,000 UNICEF trucks carrying clean water, medical supplies, vaccines, therapeutic food and other materials crossed into the territory. A supply increase of three times what had been delivered in the previous six-week period.
Katie Thurman, President of the USF Model United Nations, shared doubt for the future of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire, following Israel’s withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council. “We look at how the UN is structured. We look at the veto power that the United States holds. […] It’s not that the UN magically doesn’t have this power anymore, but that they didn’t really have it to begin with,” said Thurman, who is a senior politics major.
On Feb. 5 Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced on X that “Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC.” Saar continued, “In the UNHRC, Israel is the only country with an agenda item dedicated solely to it. Israel has been subjected to over 100 condemnatory resolutions, over 20% of all resolutions ever passed in the Council – more than against Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela combined.” Saar ended with the statement “Israel will not accept this discrimination any longer!”
The United States also backed out of the UNHRC on Feb. 4 in an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The order included a review of any anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment within the organization. This move was part of Trump’s broader support for Israel, which he expressed not only through official actions like the executive order, but also on social media.
On Feb. 26, President Trump posted an AI-generated video on Instagram of a future vision of Gaza that depicts himself and Netanyahu featuring “Trump Gaza” which included luxury resorts, golden statues of Trump and appearances by Elon Musk.
The video shocked several of Trump’s supporters as much as his opposition. One Instagram user, @lucaslye commented “As a trump supporter, horrible post.” The comment garnered over 141,000 likes, and reflected a broader sense of anger and disappointment with the video.
On Feb. 10 , Trump called for Palestinians to be moved out of Gaza, saying that they have “no right of return” and suggesting that they relocate to Egypt or Jordan. The governments of both countries have rejected the suggestion, their statement reading that these plans “threaten the region’s stability, risk expanding the conflict, and undermine prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples.”
Delaney Geist, a sophomore politics major, said “This was the most clear, literal demonstration and illustration of his crazy maniacal plan of continuing the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. [It was] just a crazy, atrocious display.”
Editor-in-Chief: Jordan Premmer, Chief Copy Editor: Sophia McCrackin, Managing Editor: Jordan DelFiugo, News Editor: Deeya Gupta, Sports Editor: John Lindroos
