Israeli Airstrikes on Beirut Kill At Least 22, Wound Dozens
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Israeli Forces Fire on UN Peacekeepers Second Day in a Row
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Above: A Lebanese Red Cross ambulance moves past armoured vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) during their patrol around Marjayoun in south Lebanon on October 8, 2024. Image copyright: Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Israel's military confirmed that its strike near the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura injured two peacekeepers from Sri Lanka, the second such incident in the area over the past two days.
According to Israel, this comes as its forces were responding to a Hezbollah threat, and peacekeepers were told to take shelter.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Though the situation in the region continues to escalate, the US has stood firm in its role as a mediator. Israel has every right to respond to the daily terror attacks it has seen since Oct. 7. However, it is in no one's interest for tensions to explode into a wider regional war. The US will continue to work toward regional stability.
Pro-Israel narrative
Israel has been incredibly patient regarding the situation in the north, but after a year of daily terror attacks on Israeli civilians, it has been forced to deal with Hezbollah more aggressively. International pressure has failed to deter Hezbollah and its Iranian sponsors. Israel wants peace more than anyone, but it cannot allow Hezbollah and other Iran-backed terror groups to threaten its society in such an existential way.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israel has escalated the situation in the region, with the US supporting it every step of the way. Indeed, Israel may expand its genocidal campaign that began in Gaza to Lebanon. Though the US, the most powerful country in the world, has continued its charade that it wants de-escalation, the reality is that it fully supports Israel's crimes across the region. Hamas and Hezbollah may be weakened, but resistance to Israel's expansionist project is inevitable.
Narrative D
Israel has chosen to launch a civilizational war against the entire region, specifically Palestinians and the Shiites of the Middle East. Targeting lists leaked by Israeli media showed that Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's highest religious authority and a well-known moderate, was included as a possible target, proving that Israel's goal is to spark a religious war. Religious leaders like Sistani have consistently called for co-existence, which is exactly why Israel seeks to assassinate him.
