Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israel vows Rafah ground assault by Ramadan if hostages are not freed
NBCFEB 17 2024
Israel Warns of Rafah Assault by Ramadan
Image copyright: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Palestine narrative
What Israel is currently doing to Palestine is nothing new. Going back to Israel's ethnic cleansing of Palestinians during the 1948 Nakba, Israel's goal has always been to displace and kill civilians through starvation and military assaults to achieve its goal of complete dominance over the region. Based on historical precedent, there is a tremendous concern for Rafah if Israel isn't told to stop.
Pro-Israel narrative
As far as historical precedent is concerned, Hamas has a long history of luring mass groups of Palestinians into tightly packed cities — this time Rafah — so that it can later blame Israel when civilians die in the crossfire. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority have called for a cease-fire in exchange for a hostage release, but Hamas is hindering these efforts through its continued attacks and flagrant use of human shields.