Israel's government is hallucinating that it's protecting the West, while digging in on the wrong side of history

From the start, this has been an asymmetric deal. What Hamas is being asked – to release the hostages – is concrete and irreversible. In contrast, the Israeli quid pro quo – ending the war – is merely a promise that could evaporate at any moment

The deal with Hamas could still collapse if Netanyahu seeks another 'image of victory' and refuses to release 'Palestinian symbols' serving prison sentences totaling hundreds of years, but he must remember that Hamas did not wait for them to attack Israel on October 7, 2023

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee still maintains that the GHF aid distribution method is the most efficient one, that there should be no tensions between Israel and Egypt, and that Palestinian statehood must be predicated by a 'significant cultural shift'

Despite disputes on the IDF's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the identity of the Palestinian prisoners to be released, Jerusalem, Washington and Doha are saying that the cease-fire talks are moving in a positive direction, and only something exceptional could derail them

Despite initial reports of 'cautious progress' in the talks, which discussed main issues including IDF withdrawal from Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners, a foreign diplomat says it is still too early to determine whether pressure exerted on both sides will be enough to bridge the gaps