Betting on the Spread
“The Houthis surprised the Pentagon last Thursday by launching a string of attack drones and long-range cruise missiles from Yemen that U.S. defense officials say were destined for Israel but intercepted by the USS Carney, an American guided missile destroyer, over the Red Sea. The Houthis have threatened in the past to strike Israel in support of Tehran and its Mideast allies.” And that’s just one element of a complex array of potential players that could make for a much wider regional war. “Missile strikes from Yemen. Killings in the West Bank. Attacks on U.S. troops in Syria. And that’s before Israel officially launches a ground invasion of Gaza.” Politico: Biden is worried about wider war in the Middle East.
+ Leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah holds talks with senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures.
+ There have been some reports that “Israel is delaying a planned ground operation in Gaza as the US seeks to bolster air defenses for its forces in the Middle East, which have been targeted in a series of missile and drone attacks.”
+ The Atlantic: The Axis of Resistance Has Been Gathering Strength. “When the U.S. stepped back from the Middle East, Iran stepped up.”
+ “Since the Israel-Hamas conflict began on October 7, at least 24 journalists have been killed, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The NGO says that’s more than in every previous war in Gaza since 2001.” Reporters in Gaza Turn to Radios and Generators to Keep the News Moving.
+ Queen Rania of Jordan is complaining that media isn’t giving the suffering of innocent Palestinians enough coverage. “Why isn’t there a call for an immediate ceasefire? We are seeing staggering human suffering happening today, so why is the narrative always skewed towards the Israeli side? The Western media and policymakers are quick to adopt the Israeli narratives.” (I visit 50-75 news outlets a day and over the past week, I’ve seen a ton of coverage focused on the death, destruction, and humanitarian emergency in Gaza.)
+ More countries urging a humanitarian pause, Bibi says ground invasion still to come, France sending ship to support Gaza hospitals. Here’s the latest from CNN, BBC, and NBC.
+ And if you missed it yesterday, I shared some personal takes on the situation: “People often ask me how I can consume so much bad news and not suffer from a paralyzing depression. The answer is pretty simple: I use my coverage of the news to deflect the associated emotions. It’s a defense mechanism. My job isn’t to feel something about the news, it’s to make you feel something about it. But in the days after October 7, the strategy is not working.”
