Israel Builds Bases in Central Gaza, a Sign It May Be There to Stay
New York TimesDEC 2024
Top US Officials to Visit Middle East to Discuss Gaza Deal, Syria
Above: US Sec. of State Antony Blinken testifies at the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Washington DC, US, on Dec. 11, 2024. Image copyright: Mostafa Bassim/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Now that quiet has been found on the Lebanese-Israeli border, the US will continue to work toward a cease-fire in Gaza that ensures the release of Israeli hostages and the end of Hamas' rule over the Palestinian enclave. The recent events in Syria further solidify the need for stability, and the US will work toward that goal.
Pro-Israel narrative
Now that Hezbollah has been decimated and the Syrian regime has collapsed, Israel should take seriously the prospects of making a deal for a cease-fire in Gaza that ensures the release of the hostages. Syria, of course, will most likely still pose a threat to Israel, but Iran's axis of resistance has effectively collapsed. Indeed, Hamas has also signaled that it is more open to a deal as it continues to lose allies.
Pro-Palestine narrative
While there is, yet again, another flurry of reports that a cease-fire is near, the reality is that Israel is continuing its genocide in Gaza. In the north, the Israeli army has been in the process of ethnically cleansing Beit Lahiya. Moreover, the rest of the strip continues to face dire humanitarian conditions that have been purposefully created by Israel.