Maldives will ban Israelis from entering the country over the war in Gaza
NBCMay 22
At Least 40 Killed in Israeli Strike on UN Shelter in Gaza
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The Facts
Israel struck a school run by the UN's primary Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Thursday, killing at least 40 people, according to local health authorities. The school had been used as a shelter for hundreds of displaced Palestinians.
The Israeli military confirmed the strike, saying that it had targeted a gathering of 20-30 members of Hamas' elite Nukhba force and made every effort to mitigate civilian casualties. It hasn't been independently confirmed that militants were present at the site.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
It is simply undeniable that the war in Gaza has taken a terrible toll on its population, and the US is committed to alleviating that suffering. Nonetheless, baseless accusations are unhelpful and may even jeopardize negotiations for a cease-fire. The US has managed to leverage its position to improve the situation, and Israel has worked toward addressing US concerns.
Pro-Israel narrative
In contrast to the cynical predictions made by US politicians, Israel has been quite successful in limiting civilian casualties. War is never pretty, and Israel has tried its best to reduce the suffering of Palestinian civilians. In this most recent strike, terrorists who participated in Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre were meticulously tracked, and Israeli forces even called off the strike twice to avoid civilian casualties. Most, if not all, of those killed on Thursday were terrorists.
Pro-Palestine narrative
It should be clear after almost eight months of grinding brutality that Israel's true goal is to destroy Gaza and starve its people. The Biden administration, which has obscured its support for the Rafah offensive, has helped Israel destroy Gaza at every step of the way, even providing the bombs that burned dozens of women and children alive in a tent camp. Israel is committing daily massacres in Gaza, and the US is fully complicit.
