Ramadan Begins Without Gaza Cease-fire

Facts

• Negotiations over a temporary cease-fire and a release of hostages between Israel and Hamas stalled Monday while Palestinians in the Gaza Strip began to fast for Ramadan. Mediators had hoped a deal could be struck before the beginning of the holy month.¹
• This came after tensions between US Pres. Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flared over the weekend after Biden said in an interview that Netanyahu's policies were 'hurting Israel.' Netanyahu responded by calling Biden's comments incorrect and suggesting the majority of the Israeli public supports his government's decisions.²
• Aid delivery to Gaza has been a focal point of disagreement between Biden and Netanyahu, as hunger and disease run rampant across the strip. A Spanish ship that was expected to deliver food to Gaza last week is still docked in Cyprus due to unclear delays. Israel said it welcomed the aid but added that security checks would still be in place.³
• The US military on Sunday said it sent an Army ship to the coast of Gaza carrying equipment to build a floating dock and pier. Once in place, armed escorts would protect the ship and its cargo while engineers construct a temporary causeway to shuttle aid to the coast from the ship. The plan will take up to 60 days and require around 1K troops.⁴
• Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas are reportedly determining whether an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza over the weekend killed Marwan Issa, who is often referred to as the Hamas' 'number three' in the strip. Israel believes Issa, military leader Mohammed Deif, and Yahya Sinwar, the group's political leader in Gaza, masterminded the Oct. 7 attack.⁵
• Gaza's Health Ministry reports that the war's official death toll has surpassed 31K Palestinians, attributing at least 27 of those deaths to starvation. The official Israeli death toll from Oct. 7 stands at around 1.2K people (and there are still over 100 hostages being held in the Gaza Strip).⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Axios, ³Associated Press, ⁴The New York Times, ⁵The Times of Israel and ⁶Democracy Now.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by NBC. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks, and the US is committed to preventing malicious actors from threatening Israel's legitimate concerns. However, the Biden administration is losing its patience with Netanyahu's intransigence. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is rapidly getting out of hand, and this disaster must be remedied. So the US is taking its own steps to alleviate this dreadful situation.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Israel will always be thankful for the US' steadfast support, but the Biden administration must refrain from tying Israel's hands behind its back. Hamas isn't interested in negotiating in good faith and has consistently shown its preference for violence. In contrast, Israel has done everything it can to ensure the safety of civilians in a war it did not want. Israel will pursue its goals — which are incredibly popular with its citizens — regardless of whether it annoys Washington or anyone.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Because it's increasingly anxious over the upcoming US presidential election, the Biden administration is resorting to cheap tactics to deny it's supporting Israel's brutal war on Gaza. Biden has armed Israel, given it diplomatic cover, and refused to call for a permanent cease-fire — incentivizing continued bloodshed. While Palestinians starve, Biden is describing grossly insufficient plans for new aid delivery mechanisms when he should be putting a stop to Israel's criminal behavior.

Predictions