US-Brokered Ceasefire: Now With More Palestinian Deaths!
Al Jazeera's reporting on Israel's continued killing of Palestinians, even under a 'US-brokered ceasefire,' brings into stark relief the asymmetry of 'peace' in the region. The liveblog notes the Israeli forces killed one Palestinian in Gaza, pushing the post-truce toll to 236. The framing – 'Israel kills Palestinian in Gaza City; Hamas returns 3 bodies' – subtly equalizes two vastly different
categories of action during a so-called ceasefire. This isn't an anomaly; it's a pattern. US 'ceasefire' agreements routinely fail to halt incursions or killings by Israeli forces, a situation rarely reflected in the outrage levels from Washington that accompany any actions by Palestinian groups. History offers a grim precedent: in 2014, similar ceasefires were repeatedly violated, leading to
spikes in Palestinian casualties, while US aid to Israel, like the $3.8 billion annually, sailed through Congress. One might wonder if the US brokering is less about peace and more about providing cover.