A weekend of harsh winter weather brings more death and despair to people in Gaza

CNN frames Gaza’s winter deaths as a morality tale aimed outward, as if the main story is simply weather plus Western guilt. That skips the harder question: why a population is left so exposed after months of war started by Hamas, and why aid and shelter are so vulnerable to diversion and chaos.

Conservatives can recognize human suffering without letting media coverage launder responsibility. Public trust erodes when outlets spotlight tragedy but blur the chain of decisions that led there. Any durable relief has to account for rule of law, accountability, and the fact that armed groups exploit disorder.

America’s role should be guided by national security and fairness: help civilians, insist on verifiable distribution, and avoid policies that reward hostage-taking or embed terrorists. The principle at stake is simple: compassion works best when it is tied to responsibility.