Sullivan Says Netanyahu 'Ready to Do a Deal'

Facts

• US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, who traveled to Israel on Thursday, said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "ready to do a deal" regarding the war in Gaza.^[1]
• Sullivan was asked if Netanyahu was stalling in negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages to secure a deal when incoming US Pres. Donald Trump assumes office. Sullivan replied that the US did not believe this, adding there was "more optimism in the air."^[1]
• The Wall Street Journal claimed that Hamas was willing to make concessions regarding the presence of Israeli troops in Gaza, reportedly agreeing to Israel remaining in Gaza during a truce on a temporary basis. Hamas, which has not publicly commented on the report, has insisted that Israel fully withdraw from the strip.^[2]
• Separately, Sullivan indicated that the US supports Israel's recent actions in Syria — the seizure of some Syrian territory and hundreds of strikes targeting the country's military infrastructure — saying that Israel had a right to defend itself from security risks.^[3]
• Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israeli strikes killed 12 people on Thursday near a convoy of aid trucks that had entered the strip via Rafah. Seven of those killed were guards, according to local authorities, but Israel said they were Hamas fighters who planned to hijack the convoy.^[4]
• Hamas has said that it has formed a task force to confront those who attempt to hijack or loot aid trucks, reportedly killing more than two dozen members of these gangs in recent months.^[5]

Sources: ^[1]The Times of Israel, ^[2]The Wall Street Journal, ^[3]Reuters, ^[4]BBC News and ^[5]Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by ABC News. 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, as provided by Honest Reporting. The media continues to spread baseless lies of famine in Gaza. Aid is entering the strip, and the real problem, as always, is Hamas. The terror group has worked to control aid movements through Gaza, harming the civilian population. If the US wants to help end the suffering of Palestinians in the strip, it must support Israel's goal of crushing Hamas.
• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Monitor. Israel is purposefully facilitating the looting of aid convoys to exasperate Gaza's hunger crisis. Considering that looting is the most prevalent in areas under Israeli military control and Israel's countless attacks on Gaza's local police force, it is quite obvious what Israel's intentions are. Indeed, Israel's genocidal war on Gaza continues unabated.