Israeli Tanks Advance Into Northern Rafah

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Facts

  • Israeli forces carried out a limited advance into northern Rafah on Wednesday, with tanks entering the area. Airstrikes were also reported in Rafah and central Gaza. Health authorities reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 81 people.1
  • Israeli strikes on Tuesday hit a UN school in which displaced Palestinians had sought refuge. Israeli strikes have targeted several UN buildings recently, with the military saying that it had targeted militants operating inside them.2
  • The UN's primary agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Tuesday that 70% of the schools it operates in Gaza had been bombed during the war, adding that the vast majority of them were being used as shelters for the displaced at the time they were attacked.3
  • An Israeli delegation arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to continue cease-fire negotiations, according to Egyptian airport officials. Tensions flared over the weekend after Israel said it had targeted the leader of Hamas' military wing, but Hamas said negotiations would continue.4
  • Mossad chief David Barnea reportedly told cabinet ministers on Tuesday that female hostages "don't have time to wait for changes in the proposal under discussion." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to make additional changes to the deal being discussed.5
  • Netanyahu stirred controversy during the cabinet meeting by reportedly saying that "our hostages are suffering in the tunnels, but according to the information we have, they are alive," though he did emphasize that the release of hostages is essential.6

Sources: 1Reuters, 2The New York Times, 3Al Jazeera, 4Associated Press, 5The Times of Israel and 6The Jerusalem Post.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Financial Times. A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, preserve Israel's security, and create a better "day after" in Gaza without Hamas in power. The US will continue to work toward closing the gaps and ensuring that peace and stability can be restored to the region.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Israel wants to make a deal and get its hostages back, but it cannot allow Hamas to stay in power. If Hamas is allowed to remain in charge in Gaza, the group will immediately begin planning the next Oct. 7 terrorist attack. Though there are pressures at home and abroad to end the war prematurely, Israel must do what is best for its citizens.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. After over nine months of non-stop brutality, the situation in Gaza continues to worsen. The US has simply failed to reel Netanyahu in, and over 35K Palestinians are dead because of it. Israeli crimes keep stacking up, yet the international community and the US refuse to do anything meaningful to stop the carnage.

Predictions