Israel-Hamas war live updates: Netanyahu's planned offensive on Rafah ratchets up tensions with Biden
NBCMar 23
Still No Breakthrough on Gaza Cease-fire Talks in Qatar
Image copyright: Ahmad Hasaballah/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Comments made by regional officials this week have indicated that talks between Israel and Hamas in Qatar have again stalled, with Israeli officials saying that Hamas was not interested in reaching a deal. The official called Hamas' response — which included the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza — "ridiculous."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a recent UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza had caused "damage," implying that Hamas' response was at least partially motivated by the resolution on which the US abstained.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Israel must be able to defend itself from terrorist attacks from Gaza or elsewhere, and the US is committed to preventing malicious actors from threatening Israel's legitimate concerns. However, the Biden admin. is losing its patience with Netanyahu's intransigence. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is rapidly getting out of hand, and the situation must be remedied. The Biden admin. is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of Palestinian civilians and is now taking its own steps to alleviate this dreadful situation.
Pro-Israel narrative
Allowing the UNSC to pass such an outrageous resolution demonstrates that the Biden admin. no longer believes that supporting Israel is worth the political capital. Caving to pro-Hamas fanatics, Biden is willing to throw Israelis under the bus to try and salvage his political career. The world has forgotten the atrocities Hamas committed on Oct. 7 and Israel's moral duty to protect its citizens.
Pro-Palestine narrative
The Biden admin., increasingly anxious over the upcoming election, has resorted to cheap tactics to deny its support for Israel's brutal war on Gaza. Regardless of the spin, Biden has armed Israel, given it diplomatic cover, and refused to call for a permanent cease-fire — all of which incentivizes continued bloodshed. Palestinians are literally starving to death, and Biden would rather wax about ill-conceived plans for new aid delivery mechanisms like building a port instead of taking concrete action to deter Israel's criminal behavior — which would be unsustainable without US support.