100 days into the Israel-Hamas war, family of an Israeli hostage says "they forgot about us"
CBSJAN 2 2024
Medicine for Gaza Hostages En Route
Image copyright: Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The US is doing everything it can to both ensure that Israel can eliminate Hamas's military capabilities and prevent regional escalation. Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks, whether from Gaza or elsewhere and is taking the right steps to wind down its military operations in Gaza, as it is not in the US or Israel's best interest to see the conflict escalate. Nevertheless, the US is prepared to defend its allies in the region and deter threats to regional and global security.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though this has been a tragic war, Israel must eliminate Hamas and restore deterrence with Iran and its proxies. Hezbollah in Lebanon is a terrorist army with far greater military capabilities than Hamas, and Israel cannot allow its citizens residing in the north to live under the constant threat of terrorist attacks. The UN resolution that ended the 2006 war with Hezbollah has failed to ensure Israel's security, and if some sort of new arrangement is not made, Israel will be forced to intervene. Likewise, in Gaza, Hamas's military capabilities must be eliminated to ensure Israel's security.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israel continues to demonstrate that its war is not against Hamas but against the Palestinian people as a whole. Nowhere in Gaza is safe, and Israel has effectively rendered the north of the strip unlivable. Israel is killing Palestinians at an unprecedented rate and clearly wants to make the Gaza Strip unlivable. Though the US, Israel's biggest ally, wants to minimize the war's intensity, it must instead exert more pressure to end the war completely.
Pro-Iran narrative
Israel, with the full backing of the US, is committing genocide in Gaza, something Iran and its allies cannot tolerate. As resistance groups like the Houthis show their solidarity with Palestinians by enforcing a blockade on Israel, Joe Biden must understand that supporting Israel's crimes will only lead to more escalation in the region. The resistance's primary goal is to end the war in Gaza, not start a far larger regional conflict. However, if the US and Israel continue to flagrantly disregard international law, the resistance may be forced to expand its operations.