The News
Violence in the Middle East has escalated in the days since Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week, despite initial optimism that his death might spark fresh ceasefire talks. On Sunday, an airstrike on Gaza killed dozens, local officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “has no interest in a political settlement” to end the war with Hamas, Haaretz’s Alon Pinkas wrote, and Hamas fighters are likely to “redouble their efforts” after Sinwar’s death, a Foreign Policy columnist argued.
“A diplomatic détente is underway in the Mideast, but not the one envisioned by the Israeli prime minister,” The New York Times wrote: Disagreements over Palestinian statehood are pushing Saudi Arabia “further away than ever” from normalizing ties with Israel, and the kingdom is instead moving closer is to Israel’s nemesis, Iran.