Report: Gaza Cease-fire Negotiations May Again Collapse
A Politico report released on Tuesday, citing anonymous US and Israeli officials, alleged that Gaza cease-fire negotiations may collapse once again. The US officials added that 'if we don’t get the deal there’s a chance that Iran attacks and this escalates into a full blown confrontation.' Ne...
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Facts
- A Politico report released on Tuesday, citing anonymous US and Israeli officials, alleged that Gaza cease-fire negotiations may collapse once again. The US officials added that 'if we don’t get the deal there’s a chance that Iran attacks and this escalates into a full blown confrontation.' Negotiations are continuing in Cairo.[1]
- In Gaza, fighting continued across the strip. Israeli airstrikes were reported near Khan Younis and Gaza City, with the military issuing new evacuation orders for some areas of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.[2]
- The Guardian reported that thousands of Palestinians have chosen to ignore the evacuation orders, as there is no more space in the areas Israel designated as humanitarian zones. Humanitarian officials confirmed that overcrowding was preventing people from heeding the orders.[3]
- On Tuesday, Israeli forces retrieved the bodies of six captives who had been held in Gaza during an overnight operation in Khan Younis. Israeli news website Ynet claims that an Israeli operation in Khan Younis half a year ago killed some of the six captives. The military said it would investigate.[4]
- In Lebanon, the Israeli military confirmed that it had killed Khalil Makdah, the brother of senior Fatah official Munir Makdah, who Israel accused of coordinating with Hezbollah and Iran to plan attacks on Israel. Fatah is the Palestinian party that runs the Palestinian Authority (PA), which partially controls the West Bank.[5][6]
- In response, Fatah accused Israel of seeking to 'ignite a regional war.' Makdah — a member of Fatah's armed wing — was killed in the coastal city of Sidon near the Ain al-Helweh Palestinian refugee camp. Fatah is Hamas' main rival.[6]
Sources: [1]Politico, [2]Reuters, [3]Guardian, [4]Al Jazeera, [5]Timesofisrael and [6]Alarabiya.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by POLITICO. With the clock ticking, the US and its allies are confident that after some tough negotiating, a deal between Israel and Hamas can be reached. A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, the release of Israeli hostages, 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 Jerusalem Post. Though Israel will do what it must to free those taken hostage in Gaza, it cannot rush into a deal that creates a lifeline for Hamas. Israel faces an entire network of Iranian-back terror and must act wisely to gain as much as it can in negotiations with Hamas while avoiding full-scale regional escalation.
- Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Israel's aggressive posture only demonstrates that it is a rogue state that would rather light the region on fire than stop its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu continues to engage in provocative acts because he has failed to achieve his political and military objectives. While Netanyahu extends the war to ensure his political survival, the US continues to support Israel with a blank check and obfuscate its role in the carnage.
