Trump’s Gaza, All Smoke And Mirrors?

A Palestinian grandfather rides his donkey with his granddaughter from the city of Nablus to his olive groves. 2002.

From a biblical scene to utter carnage in a matter of a few hours inside the occupied Palestinian Territories. Back in 2001-2003, during the Second Indifada (uprising), it was a daily occurrence to go out and news gather, whether inside the West Bank or inside Gaza.

Back then I operated out on the ground as a security adviser to Western media. Myself, a camera person, an on camera correspondent, and the most important individual in the team…the local fixer/producer (without whom there would be no news gathering).

Whenever the Israeli Defence Force came into an area to target Palestinians, they would attempt to round up the media and expel them from the area…telling them that it was a “closed military area!” That would allow them to get on with the job without eyes on scrutiny…just the way they liked it.

To be fair, over 20 years ago now, some of the Western media, and most of the local media just wouldn’t put up with it. Causing some to be killed or wounded in their cause to news gather.

Throughout the Intifada, lasting some 18 months plus, I never left an area for long. Always returning from a different direction with my team, and sometimes alone, to continue news gathering for as long as the scenario played out.

Today it’s different.

No Western news teams inside Gaza since before 7th October 2023 when Hamas did its dreadful deed into Israel, apart from a dog and pony trip with either the IDF or an IDF cleared actor for a limited period. In fact very little news at all from Western mainstream media from inside the occupied West Bank either.

Reporting from Tel Aviv parroting what the Israeli Government spokesperson is telling them just doesn’t cut it.

In order to convince the viewers in the West, Western reporting on the ground is paramount. Pressure from the media and from governments in the West to have Western media report from Gaza just hasn’t been good enough. Not only would we see what’s happening day on day, it would have stopped the Israelis from using Gaza as a live firing range for the last 15 months.

So here we are today, 2025, and Gaza looks like a scene from the battle of Stalingrad.

Also, it’s absolutely apparent that with somewhere close to 50,000 Palestinian deaths inside Gaza, there are more Hamas today than there were 15 months ago…and from the footage of hostage releases, those Hamas military members are kitted out with new equipment which has come from somewhere out of the rubble?

Today, no one has won from either side. Over 1000 dead Israelis and close to 50,000 dead Palestinians.

2025…not 25AD.

Yesterday POTUS hosted the leader of the Israeli government at the White House.

What came out from the mouth of POTUS beggars belief.

We’ve all heard it, the news is full of talking heads and their views of what was said and what it means versus what the Regional powers think of it.

But for me, this is perhaps smoke and mirrors for something else. Only time will tell whether Trump is going along with the current Israeli heads, and pushing for a breakdown in negotiations that will ultimately lead to the killing of Palestinian civilians continuing until, as they say, Hamas is wiped out.

But again “as they say” you cannot wipe out an ideology.

In my view, it’s not POTUS or the US government that should be the interlocking actor between the Israeli and Palestinian States, but a country with no dog in the fight from either side. I’ve said this many times in past posts, perhaps a country from Scandinavia for example.

Trump’s remarks on taking Gaza yesterday in front of the world’s press corps have not just raised eyebrows, it’s greatly raised the temperature in both the Greater Middle East and around the world, including inside the USA.

The world is delicate today, unbalanced…not somewhere we want to be right now for the sake of our kids and grandkids.

When you have the leader of the free world coming out with sociopathic comments, meaningful or otherwise, we all now need to be looking over our shoulders…each and every one of us. Because those comments have pleased a few but angered the most.

The fallout from yesterday will be felt around the world…be warned and be prepared…have a plan for yourself, your family, and your tribe (work mates and social mates), especially when traveling or out and about.