Secretary of State Blinken heads to Middle East to help close Gaza cease-fire deal
CBSAug 20
Report: Gaza Cease-fire Negotiations May Again Collapse
Above: An Israeli tank moves along the border with the Gaza Strip on August 21, 2024 in Southern Israel, Israel. Image copyright: Amir Levy/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A Politico report released on Tuesday, citing anonymous US and Israeli officials, alleged that Gaza cease-fire negotiations may collapse once again. The US officials added that "if we don’t get the deal there’s a chance that Iran attacks and this escalates into a full blown confrontation." Negotiations are continuing in Cairo.
In Gaza, fighting continued across the strip. Israeli airstrikes were reported near Khan Younis and Gaza City, with the military issuing new evacuation orders for some areas of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
With the clock ticking, the US and its allies are confident that after some tough negotiating, a deal between Israel and Hamas can be reached. A guaranteed end to the war will ensure increased humanitarian aid to the besieged enclave, the release of Israeli hostages, and create a better "day after" in Gaza without Hamas in power. The US will continue to work toward closing the gaps and ensuring that peace and stability can be restored to the region.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though Israel will do what it must to free those taken hostage in Gaza, it cannot rush into a deal that creates a lifeline for Hamas. Israel faces an entire network of Iranian-back terror and must act wisely to gain as much as it can in negotiations with Hamas while avoiding full-scale regional escalation.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Israel's aggressive posture only demonstrates that it is a rogue state that would rather light the region on fire than stop its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Netanyahu continues to engage in provocative acts because he has failed to achieve his political and military objectives. While Netanyahu extends the war to ensure his political survival, the US continues to support Israel with a blank check and obfuscate its role in the carnage.