REPORT: Biden Officials Admit They Never Pressured Israel for Ceasefire, as Israeli Leaders Boast of Playing Washington
“God did the State of Israel a favor that Biden was the president during this period… We fought [in Gaza] for over a year and the administration never came to us and said, ‘ceasefire now.’ It never did. And that’s not to be taken for granted.”
—Former Israeli ambassador Michael Herzog:
A sweeping Israeli Channel 13 investigation has exposed the Biden administration’s complicity in Israel’s 19-month war on Gaza. Nine top Biden officials acknowledged avoiding real pressure on Israel—even as the death toll surpassed 30,000. Israeli leaders openly bragged they dragged out the war, playing for time until Donald Trump’s return.
Former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Ambassador Tom Nides, and others defended their unwavering support for Israel—even as they admitted enabling a campaign one U.S. aide described as “killing and destroying for the sake of killing and destroying.”
Here’s what the investigation revealed: 🧵⬇️
1. “Killing and Destroying for the Sake of Killing and Destroying”
➤ Ilan Goldenberg, a senior national security aide, described the war’s aimlessness: “If they’re never going to do this, it doesn’t matter what the outcome is, Hamas is still going to control Gaza. You’re just killing and destroying for the sake of killing and destroying. But you’re not building an alternative.”
➤ U.S. officials pushed a post-war plan modeled on the anti-ISIS campaign, proposing that Arab states temporarily secure Gaza—but Netanyahu blocked it, refusing any role for the Palestinian Authority.
➤ Far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich openly pushed for reoccupying Gaza and rebuilding settlements. Netanyahu refused to advance alternatives, keeping the door open to their demands.
2. “We Fought for Over a Year and the Administration Never Said ‘Ceasefire Now’”
➤ Israeli officials were blunt about the benefits of Biden’s passivity. Former ambassador Michael Herzog declared:
“God did the State of Israel a favor that Biden was the president during this period, because it could have been much worse. We fought [in Gaza] for over a year and the administration never came to us and said, ‘ceasefire now.’ It never did. And that’s not to be taken for granted.”
➤ Biden aides privately admitted Netanyahu was dragging out the war. “He’s undercutting it every step of the way,” said Goldenberg. “All the security people are coming out and saying it.”
➤ He also revealed there were internal discussions in Washington about Biden giving a speech to pressure Israel politically, possibly triggering new elections there—but Biden backed off.
3. U.S. Covered for Israeli War Crimes and Blocked Aid Report
➤ State Department adviser Stacy Gilbert resigned after being cut out of the process of drafting a legally required arms compliance report.
➤ The final version cleared Israel of violating U.S. law—despite overwhelming evidence of aid obstruction. Gilbert called it “shocking in its mendacity,” adding: “Everyone knows that is not true.”
➤ Even as settlers looted Gaza-bound trucks and Israel blocked humanitarian aid, Biden certified compliance—and kept weapons flowing.
4. Netanyahu Sabotaged Captives Release Talks to Prolong the War
➤ Biden officials revealed that Netanyahu deliberately tanked negotiations, fearing a deal would force him to end the war.
➤ American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin was scheduled for release the day he was executed. Amos Hochstein confirmed: “There’s no doubt… those hostages would be alive.”
➤ Netanyahu’s public campaign to retain control over Gaza’s Philadelphi Corridor was viewed by Biden officials as a smokescreen to kill the deal.
5. Biden Backed Israel Even After Netanyahu Publicly Undermined & Insulted Him
➤ Biden once told Netanyahu he was “full of shit,” and hung up the phone mid-call. But as Ambassador Tom Nides put it: “Biden saw [Netanyahu] as a manipulator, a magician… But he stood by him through the end.”
➤ In May 2024, Biden announced he was pausing a shipment of 2,000-lb bombs over concerns about their use in Gaza. Days later, Netanyahu accused the U.S. of freezing broader arms deliveries—reportedly pausing Biden’s plans to restore the paused shipment.
6. Saudi Deal Collapsed Because Israel Refused to Make Any Concessions
➤ Biden officials described how a U.S.-Saudi normalization deal—coupled with defense and economic pacts—was nearly complete. But it required Israel to accept a “political horizon” for Palestinians.
➤ Dan Shapiro, former deputy assistant secretary of defense, explained: “We always understood that the Israeli government depended on far-right ministers who would try to block that commitment… that might require an election or a coalition shuffle.”
➤ Former U.S. ambassador Jack Lew called Israel’s refusal to engage “kind of shocking.”
➤ Amos Hochstein said: “I don’t understand the decision not to grab that opportunity as the most important strategic move Israel can make.”
➤ Herzog claimed Netanyahu deliberately stalled, hoping Trump would return to office and take credit: “It was my understanding that Trump preferred for the deal to wait until he got into office so that he’d be the one to do it.”
Clarification: Negotiators were discussing adding American-Israeli hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin to the release list on the same day he was executed. He was not yet formally “scheduled” for release. Amos Hochstein said: “There’s no doubt… those hostages would be alive.”
The full investigation in Hebrew is available here:
⚡️NEW: Israel Rejects Hamas Offer to Free All Israeli Captives and End Gaza Assault in Exchange for 5-Year Truce
Israeli officials have told local media there is “no chance” the government will accept Hamas’s latest proposal—a five-year ceasefire that would end the war on Gaza, allow for reconstruction, and secure the release of all Israeli captives. Instead, Israel is planning for ways to prolong the assault.
Here are five key things to know from the latest reports today:
1. Israel Rejects 5-Year Truce and Captive Release Deal
➤ Israeli officials told Yedioth Ahronoth and Times of Israel they will not agree to a hudna (truce) that would allow Hamas to “rearm, recover, and continue its war.”
➤ Hamas’s proposal, as confirmed by Drop Site News and Israeli media, offered to release all Israeli captives in Gaza in exchange for ending the war, a full Israeli withdrawal, reconstruction, and humanitarian aid.
➤ Israel refuses any deal that would halt its military campaign without “dismantling Hamas,” demanding disarmament—a red line for Hamas.
2. Netanyahu’s Government Prepares to Expand Gaza Assault
➤ Instead of advancing a deal to bring captives home, Israel’s security cabinet is reportedly convening again this week to discuss expanding military operations in Gaza (Maariv).
➤ This follows a weekend of extensive Israeli terror bombings in Gaza and prolonged siege conditions, with no clear plan for ending the war or securing captives’ release.
For more than two decades, Hamas has offered Israel long-term truces (hudna) in exchange for ending the occupation. Every offer has been rejected.
Today, Hamas has begun presenting mediators with a comprehensive plan for a five-year truce to end the war in Gaza—offering major concessions.
The resistance movement has not officially released details of its latest ceasefire proposal, but according to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, which cites Egyptian sources and a senior Hamas official familiar with the negotiations, the plan includes:
➤ Full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, with a short, guaranteed timeline backed by mediators.
➤ Release of all Israeli captives, dead and alive, in exchange for ending the war.
➤ A five-year truce with all reconstruction restrictions lifted, based on Egypt’s Arab League-backed plan to rebuild Gaza over 3-5 years.
➤ Hamas steps down from Gaza’s civil administration, including the police. An interim committee, formed and trained by Egypt (with background checks on personnel), would govern.
➤ Resistance weapons remain, but Hamas offers guarantees: arms won’t be used if Israel adheres to the deal, and no new military infrastructure (including tunnels) will be built near Gaza’s border during the truce.
➤ Aid distribution will be monitored by third parties, including the American security firm that oversaw the January 17 ceasefire, as well as tribal leaders unaffiliated with Hamas to ensure aid reaches civilians and counters Israeli claims of diversion.
Despite major concessions, Hamas’s leadership maintains:
➤ No to disarmament of the resistance.
➤ No to partial deals without full guarantees.
The idea of a hudna is not new, as reported in @jeremyscahill’s latest story on the negotiations. Hamas has suggested such arrangements for decades—and Israel has rejected every offer. Let’s walk through that history. 🔽
2. 1997 | Sheikh Ahmed Yassin’s Offer
Shortly after his release from Israeli prison, Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin offered a 10-year truce if Israel withdrew from the territories occupied in 1967, released Palestinian prisoners, and allowed a Palestinian state.
In Egypt’s Al-Ahram, Yassin said:
“Let’s solve this problem now on the basis of the 1967 borders… Let’s leave the bigger issue for future generations.”
3. 1997 | 30-Year Truce Offer
Former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy later confirmed Yassin had made an even broader offer—a 30-year truce—through Jordanian mediators.
Israel rejected it. Seven years later, Yassin was assassinated.
REPORT | Moroccan Dockworkers and Protesters Disrupt Maersk Shipment of F-35 Parts to Israel
Protesters and dockworkers in Tangier and Casablanca took to the streets and ports on Sunday to resist the docking of Maersk ships suspected of transporting components for F-35 warplanes used in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. What began as mass demonstrations has now escalated into a direct labor refusal at the Tangier Med Port — a clear stand by Moroccan port workers against Israel’s military supply chain for genocide.
🧵Thread continues below
Video: Protests in Casablanca today
➤ Mass Mobilization in Tangier and Casablanca
In Tangier, an estimated 1,500 demonstrators marched from the city center toward the port, denouncing what they described as Morocco’s complicity in genocide. Protesters chanted “No genocidal weapons in Moroccan waters” and called for a full severing of diplomatic ties with Israel.
In Casablanca, where protesters had already mobilized earlier in the week, demonstrators again attempted to reach the port in an effort to intercept the Maersk Nexoe. Both protests were organized by a coalition of pro-Palestine activists, labor unions, and civil society groups. Security forces blocked access to port infrastructure in both cities.
Video: Protests in Tangier
➤ Dockworker Refusals at Tangier Port
At Tangier Med, 18 out of 20 remote crane controllers on the first shift refused to operate machinery to service the ship believed to be carrying F-35 parts. On the second shift, 27 of 30 workers reportedly joined the refusal. The action followed public calls from the Port Workers’ Union to boycott the Nexoe Maersk and refrain from any involvement in handling military cargo linked to Israel.
While not officially acknowledged by the port or Maersk, internal updates viewed by Drop Site indicate the disruption remains in effect.
Israel Blocks Palestinians From Holy Saturday Rites, Assaults Worshippers in Jerusalem
On April 19, Israeli forces locked down Jerusalem’s Old City, barring Palestinian Christians from attending Holy Saturday rites at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Checkpoints choked off the area, and even senior clergy—including the Vatican’s representative—were detained and turned away.
Videos show Israeli police flooding the church square and physically assaulting worshippers inside, leaving one of Christianity’s holiest sites nearly empty.
The crackdown is emblematic of Israel’s systematic effort to block Palestinian access to religious life in Jerusalem. Thousands of West Bank Christians were denied permits during Holy Week. Similar restrictions were imposed on Muslims throughout Ramadan.
Church leaders responded by canceling public Easter celebrations, citing the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza and attacks across the West Bank.
🧵NEW: US to Begin Phased Troop Reduction in Syria, Informs Israel
1/ The Trump administration has notified Israel of plans to initiate a phased reduction of U.S. troops in Syria, starting within the next two months, with no final decision on a full withdrawal, according to reports in Israeli media. Israeli officials are anticipating a partial drawdown, and urging U.S. to maintain a presence to counter Turkish influence and secure regional stability.
Image: Ynet
2/ Approximately 2,000 U.S. troops are currently in Syria, primarily in the northeast, partnering with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) with the stated goal of preventing an Islamic State (ISIS) resurgence and monitor Iranian-backed militias. The Pentagon is exploring options for a partial or full withdrawal over 30, 60, or 90 days, prompted by Trump’s expressed desire to reduce U.S. military involvement in the region.
3/ Israel fears a reduced U.S. presence could embolden Turkey, which has expanded its military and political influence in post-Assad Syria. The suggested U.S. withdrawal comes as Turkey and other regional countries have attempted to develop their own counter-ISIS mission in the country to replace the U.S. mission there.
The following is a list of U.S. universities where international students and faculty have faced visa revocations, detentions, or deportation orders under the Trump administration—many targeted for pro-Palestinian activism. In many cases, students have been accused, without evidence, of supporting terrorism or posing “foreign policy” risks. 🧵⬇️
2/ Arizona State University (ASU):
8 international students recently had their visas revoked, reportedly by U.S. consulates in their home countries. While ASU initially suggested the revocations were linked to “various legal infractions,” no specific charges or criminal records have been identified. Activism, including pro-Palestinian protests, has been cited as a factor in similar cases nationwide, though ASU denies this connection for its students.
3/ Brown University (RI):
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a 34-year-old assistant professor and kidney transplant specialist, was deported to Lebanon despite holding a valid H-1B visa and a federal judge’s order temporarily halting her removal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents reportedly found deleted photos and videos of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral on her phone.