Perspectives: Violence Escalates Between Hamas and Israel

Four days of ongoing airstrikes and rocket barrages have killed seven Israelis, including two children, and 83 Palestinians, including 17 children, as of Thursday afternoon. Israel is preparing ground troops along the Gaza border and calling up at least 7,000 reservists for the Israel Defense Forces. On Thursday, Egyptian security officials reportedly visited with leaders of Hamas and Israel in an attempt to negotiate a cease-fire after Israel rejected a Hamas cease-fire proposal Wednesday night. The U.S. has also dispatched diplomats, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hady Amr. The violence comes after weeks of escalating tensions over planned evictions of Palestinians from a Jerusalem neighborhood and Israeli police raids on the Al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan. Voices in right-rated outlets tended to take Israel’s side, blaming Hamas for the violence and criticizing President Joe Biden’s handling of the situation. Voices in left-rated outlets were more likely to criticize Israel’s actions while also not supporting Hamas. English-language Israeli outlets also featured several perspectives on the violence.