Palestinian officials have fiercely rejected recent comments by U.S. envoy David Witkoff, calling them dishonest, biased, and a blatant distortion of the reality on the ground in Gaza. In a strongly worded statement, Dr Ismail Al-Thawabta, Director of the Government Media Office in Gaza, accused the envoy of amplifying Israeli propaganda aimed at deflecting attention from the ongoing massacres and humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged enclave.

Witkoff’s remarks, which followed the Palestinian response to ceasefire mediation efforts, were described as part of a wider psychological war designed to shift blame away from the Israeli occupation and legitimise its continued aggression. Dr Al-Thawabta stressed that the Palestinian position remains rooted in clear demands: a full cessation of hostilities, complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of displaced civilians, and the urgent, unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid.

He criticised the envoy’s insinuation of “alternative options” as a dangerous signal, one that aligns with Israel’s long-standing policy of collective punishment under the guise of hostage retrieval. According to Palestinian officials and mediators close to the negotiations, it is Israel that has repeatedly stalled talks, imposed conditions, and refused to guarantee a lasting ceasefire or even the most basic humanitarian access.

The statement closed with a call to the international community to stop echoing Israeli narratives and instead uphold their responsibilities under international law, to end the siege, stop the killing, and hold those responsible for war crimes to account.

As the death toll rises and starvation spreads, Palestinians insist they will not be scapegoated for demanding the most basic of rights: to live free from occupation, bombardment, and forced displacement.