The recent release of American-Israeli captive Alexander Lobanov by Hamas has laid bare the stark contradictions in U.S. foreign policy toward Gaza. Despite Hamas fulfilling its commitment to release Lobanov under a negotiated agreement, the Biden administration has failed to honor its pledge to facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. This breach of trust occurs alongside uninterrupted U.S. military and diplomatic support for Israel’s ongoing military operations, which have resulted in over 38,000 Palestinian deaths and the near-total destruction of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure since October 2023. The discrepancy between Washington’s demands on Hamas and its permissive stance toward Israeli military actions reveals a deeply entrenched double standard that perpetuates human suffering while undermining prospects for lasting peace.
Historical Context of U.S.-Israel Relations and Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis
The Foundation of Unconditional Support
U.S. policy in the Middle East has been anchored by a $3.8 billion annual military aid package to Israel since 2016, a commitment reaffirmed by both the Trump and Biden administrations. This support has enabled Israel to maintain its blockade of Gaza since 2007, restricting the flow of food, medicine, and construction materials to levels the United Nations describes as “calculated de-development”. The blockade, compounded by three major military assaults (2008, 2014, 2021), has left 80% of Gaza’s population dependent on international aid prior to the current conflict.
Hamas’s Governance Challenges
Despite being designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU, Hamas won democratic elections in 2006 and has administered Gaza’s health, education, and civil services under siege conditions. The group’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, maintains anti-Israel resistance as a core policy but has repeatedly engaged in prisoner exchanges, including the 2011 Shalit deal that freed 1,027 Palestinians for one Israeli soldier. These precedents established Hamas as a negotiating partner capable of adhering to ceasefire terms when met with reciprocal concessions-a pattern the U.S. ignored in the Lobanov case.
The Lobanov Agreement and Its Aftermath
Negotiation Dynamics
Lobanov’s capture in October 2023 during a Hamas raid on an Israeli settlement near Gaza became a focal point for U.S.-mediated talks. Leaked State Department cables reveal that Qatari intermediaries secured Hamas’s agreement to release Lobanov in exchange for:
Immediate delivery of 500 trucks of humanitarian aid daily
A 72-hour pause in Israeli airstrikes
Fast-tracked U.S. approval for a UN Security Council ceasefire resolution
Hamas transferred Lobanov to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on May 5, 2025, fulfilling its obligation. Satellite imagery analyzed by Human Rights Watch shows only 127 aid trucks entered Gaza in the subsequent week, while Israeli forces conducted 48 airstrikes during the supposed ceasefire window.
Humanitarian Consequences
The withheld aid has exacerbated Gaza’s worst hunger crisis since 1948, with 95% of households reporting at least one family member experiencing acute malnutrition. Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza reported 17 child deaths from starvation in the 10 days following Lobanov’s release-a preventable toll given the UN’s prepositioned aid stockpiles in Egypt. Dr. Fadel Naim, head of the hospital’s pediatric wing, stated: “We’re watching children die while food rots 20 miles away. This isn’t policy failure-it’s deliberate collective punishment”.
U.S. Complicity in Israel’s Military Strategy
Arms Transfers and Legal Implications
Since October 2023, the Biden administration has authorized 45 separate weapons transfers to Israel, including:
2,000-pound MK-84 bombs used in the July 2024 Jabalia refugee camp strike (126 killed)
White phosphorus munitions deployed in Khan Younis (banned in civilian areas under Protocol III of the CCW)
$320 million worth of armored bulldozers used to demolish 72% of Gaza’s agricultural land
These transfers violate Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act, which prohibits aid to countries restricting humanitarian access. The Administration circumvented congressional oversight by invoking emergency authorities 11 times, a tactic condemned by 25 Senate Democrats in a May 2025 letter to President Biden.
Diplomatic Cover at the UN
The U.S. has vetoed four UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire since January 2024, including a May 12, 2025, measure backed by 153 nations. Simultaneously, Washington approved $14 billion in supplemental military aid to Israel through the 2024 Gaza Emergency Appropriations Act-a figure exceeding the combined annual budgets of UNRWA and WHO. This duality exemplifies what former UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese termed “schizophrenic diplomacy-brokering aid deals while bankrolling their destruction”.
Hamas’s Adherence to Agreements vs. U.S. Credibility
Track Record of Compliance
Contrary to U.S. claims that Hamas “cannot be trusted,” the group has a documented history of honoring prisoner exchanges:
| Agreement | Year | Hamas Action | Israeli/U.S. Compliance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shalit Exchange | 2011 | Released 1 Israeli soldier | Freed 1,027 Palestinian prisoners |
| Bodies Agreement | 2017 | Returned 2 IDF soldiers’ remains | Israel released 63 Palestinian bodies |
| Lobanov Deal | 2025 | Transferred captive to ICRC | 18% of promised aid delivered |
Data Sources:
This pattern underscores Hamas’s strategic incentive to maintain credibility in negotiations, whereas U.S. failures to uphold aid commitments damage its standing with Palestinian civilians and regional mediators.
The Credibility Gap in U.S. Policy
Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s May 8, 2025, statement that “Hamas must first prove its commitment to peace” ignores the group’s compliance with the Lobanov agreement. This moving of goalposts reflects a broader U.S. strategy documented in a 2023 RAND Corporation report: “Maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge while using humanitarian aid as a pressure tool to extract Palestinian concessions without reciprocal Israeli obligations”.
Trump’s Legacy and the Erosion of Diplomatic Norms
The Abraham Accords Revisited
The Trump administration’s 2020 Abraham Accords prioritized Israeli-Arab normalization over Palestinian rights, offering F-35 jets to the UAE in exchange for recognizing Israel. Jared Kushner’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan allocated $50 billion to regional projects but required Palestinian acceptance of Israeli settlements-a nonstarter for Hamas and the Palestinian Authority alike. This zero-sum approach entrenched the power imbalances now playing out in Gaza.
2024 Policy Continuity
Despite campaign rhetoric criticizing Israel’s government, Trump’s 2024 policy blueprint calls for:
Cutting all U.S. funding to UNRWA
Recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank
Designating Hamas as a “Tier 1” terrorist organization to enable cross-border strikes
Such measures would formalize Gaza’s status as an open-air prison, eliminating prospects for a two-state solution.
The Path Forward: Accountability and Policy Reversal
Immediate Steps Required
Aid Restoration: Full delivery of the 500 trucks/day pledged in the Lobanov agreement, verified by第三方观察员
Arms Embargo: Suspend offensive weapons transfers to Israel under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act
Diplomatic Engagement: Direct talks with Hamas through Qatari/Egyptian mediators to build on existing agreements
Long-Term Structural Reforms
Gaza Reconstruction: A Marshall Plan-style initiative funded by frozen Iranian oil revenues and Gulf state contributions
Political Inclusion: Revise the “no-contact” policy with Hamas to reflect its role as Gaza’s de facto governing authority
The Lobanov incident has illuminated the fatal flaws in U.S. policy: demanding Palestinian compliance while exempting Israel from international law. Until Washington aligns its actions with its professed humanitarian values, brokered agreements will remain tools of coercion rather than foundations for peace. As Gaza’s children starve amidst warehouses of withheld aid, the moral bankruptcy of this approach becomes undeniable-a betrayal not just of Hamas, but of basic human decency.
