Palestinian Official Retracts Claim Israel Will Halt Gaza Strikes Amid Ongoing Conflict

Mohammed Dahlan, a former senior Fatah official in Gaza and close ally of UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, sparked a diplomatic and media controversy after posting and quickly deleting a dramatic social media statement claiming that Israel would stop its military strikes in Gaza. Dahlan initially tweeted that Jared Kushner, senior advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden, personally assured him that Israel had committed to cease attacks starting that morning, following Hamas and Palestinian factions' agreement on a 15-point disarmament framework proposed by the American Peace Council.

The tweet immediately drew global attention as Israel had not officially confirmed acceptance of the framework and continued significant strikes in Gaza two days after the U.S. announcement endorsing the plan. It appears Dahlan either rushed to publicize the information or exceeded agreed boundaries after receiving signals from involved American sources, leading him to delete the original post within two hours. He then issued a softened statement avoiding firm timelines, stating only that Kushner was working with the Israeli side to try to halt the attacks.

Dahlan's behind-the-scenes involvement in talks with Kushner and Palestinian factions was recently confirmed by his associates, who credited his connections with helping achieve the breakthrough that led to Hamas's agreement. However, the situation on the ground remains highly complex. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly approve the plan, and Israeli officials have indicated the current framework is insufficient and does not justify withdrawing IDF forces, who continue operations against terror infrastructure and weapons caches.

Meanwhile, Gaza residents and local leadership remain deeply skeptical about the prospects for success amid ongoing fighting and a severe humanitarian crisis.