Top US Officials to Visit Middle East to Discuss Gaza Deal, Syria

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Dec 11, 2024

Above: US Sec. of State Antony Blinken testifies at the Committee on Foreign Affairs in Washington DC, US, on Dec. 11, 2024. Image copyright: Mostafa Bassim/Contributor/Anadolu via Getty Imagesstory last updated Dec 12

The Facts

US Sec. of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made their way to the Middle East on Wednesday to discuss negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages as well as the rapidly developing situation in Syria.
Blinken is set to travel to Jordan and Turkey, while Sullivan will visit Israel, Qatar, and Egypt. The US Dept. of State said that Blinken "will reiterate the United States’ support for an inclusive, Syrian-led transition to an accountable and representative government."

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Now that quiet has been found on the Lebanese-Israeli border, the US will continue to work toward a cease-fire in Gaza that ensures the release of Israeli hostages and the end of Hamas' rule over the Palestinian enclave. The recent events in Syria further solidify the need for stability, and the US will work toward that goal.

ABC news

Pro-Israel narrative

Now that Hezbollah has been decimated and the Syrian regime has collapsed, Israel should take seriously the prospects of making a deal for a cease-fire in Gaza that ensures the release of the hostages. Syria, of course, will most likely still pose a threat to Israel, but Iran's axis of resistance has effectively collapsed. Indeed, Hamas has also signaled that it is more open to a deal as it continues to lose allies.

Jerusalem Post

Pro-Palestine narrative

While there is, yet again, another flurry of reports that a cease-fire is near, the reality is that Israel is continuing its genocide in Gaza. In the north, the Israeli army has been in the process of ethnically cleansing Beit Lahiya. Moreover, the rest of the strip continues to face dire humanitarian conditions that have been purposefully created by Israel.