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Hamas leader’s family members killed in Israeli strike
Insights from Haaretz and Al-Monitor
The News
Three sons and four grandchildren of Hamas’ political leader were killed in an Israeli strike Wednesday. The strike targeted a car carrying the family of Ismail Haniyeh as they were reportedly traveling to an Eid celebration. Haniyeh has said he will not change his position on ongoing ceasefire talks with Israel over its war in Gaza.
SIGNALS
Six months on, Israel is no closer to achieving its war aims
Israel’s strike on Iranian officials in Damascus and on Haniyeh’s family were designed to unravel ceasefire talks, columnist Uri Misgav argued in the left-leaning Israeli outlet Haaretz. The country’s failures in its war can be attributed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision making and that of Israel’s political and military leadership so far, he said. Meanwhile, Israel is slipping away from democracy, Misgav wrote. “Israel is no longer a democracy. It dresses up as one only on Election Day,” he wrote. “If the way to escape from his grip is not found soon, our end will be like that of nations that were abducted by psychopaths: Ruin.”
The threat of Iranian retaliation growing
Iran has pledged to retaliate against Israel for the strikes in Syria, which struck Tehran’s diplomatic complex and killed a top official. U.S. and Israeli officials fear that a retaliatory strike is imminent, and U.S. President Joe Biden has said that his government’s support of its ally is “ironclad.” But he has also indicated continued U.S. support for Israel will become contingent on a change to Israel’s rules of engagement or an increase in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Democrats in the U.S. have hardened their stance against Israel in recent months, and that is posing a threat to Biden’s re-election chances, analysts told Al-Monitor.
