Israel-Hamas war live updates: Biden arrives in Israel; Gaza hospital blast fuels protests
NBCMAY 2023
Biden Secures Aid for Gaza, Reportedly Authorizes Israeli Ground Invasion
Image copyright: The White House [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
At a time when further violence could erupt in the Middle East, Biden's visit to Israel showed great statesmanship and composure. While standing close to Israel as an ally, Biden reminded the country of its obligations as a democracy and facilitated the delivery of humanitarian aid.
Establishment-critical narrative
Despite his public comments about the necessity of protecting Palestinians, by secretly giving his backing for an Israeli ground invasion, Biden has sold out the innocent civilians living in Gaza who were relying on US diplomacy for protection and ceasefire.
Pro-Israel narrative
Though Biden's visit — which drew on US experiences after the 9/11 attacks — has warned Israel not to let rage dictate its response to the Hamas attacks, Washington evidently believes Israel's current military reaction is proportionate. Biden clearly said that "justice must be done" and has firmly backed Israel's right to go to war against Hamas.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Irrespective of politics, the Gaza Strip is still being bombarded by the Israeli military. As of Thursday, nearly 3.5K had been killed and over 12K were wounded. A further 1.3K remained trapped under the rubble. All of this chaos is occurring under a complete blockade that's lasted 11 days. The most pressing issue now is that the Gaza Strip is in desperate need of humanitarian aid.