Israel Used Its C-Dome for the First Time: What to Know
TimeAPR 17 2024
Israeli Defense Minister: Israel 'to Flood Gaza with Aid'
Image copyright: Amir Levy/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday that Israel will open a new crossing into the Gaza Strip for humanitarian aid, saying that Israel plans "to flood Gaza with aid." The new crossing will open between the Israeli community of Zikim and the Gaza town of al-Siafa.
Israeli military leaders met with members of UN bodies, the Red Cross, US Agency for International Development (USAID), the International Medical Corps, and the American humanitarian coordinator on Wednesday to discuss "increasing coordination and cooperation" between Israel and the aid organizations operating in Gaza.
On Thursday, aid agency UNICEF reported that its staff came under fire near the Israeli checkpoint in Wadi Gaza on Thursday, with one worker saying that the gunfire came from the checkpoint.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Israel's war against Hamas is undoubtedly just, given the atrocities the group committed during its Oct. 7 attack. However, the Biden administration is losing its patience with Netanyahu's intransigence. Israel must take into account the innocent civilians in Gaza who are trapped between the country's military machine and Hamas' terrorist fighters. Indeed, the humanitarian situation has reached the point where the US is willing to take more decisive action to ensure that Netanyahu follows his commitments.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though this has been a tragic war, Israel and its allies must not succumb to pro-Hamas fanatics. Unfortunately, it seems that Biden has calculated that, to try and salvage his political career, he must throw Israelis under the bus. Regardless of how much Biden may say he supports Israel, the reality is that the president wants to force Israel to concede to terrorists. 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 administration, 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. Of course, pressuring Israel to open more crossing into Gaza is an improvement, but it's far too little and far too late. Biden must do more to end the man-made famine that Israel has created.