Israel continues airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon amid a fragile Gaza ceasefire, while also engaging in clashes and diplomatic talks with Syria and incidents in the West Bank, including university raids and protests.
President Donald Trump is set to host Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, marking a significant step in U.S. efforts to strengthen relations with Damascus and support Syria's political transition, including recent moves to ease sanctions and rescind terrorist designations.
Jared Kushner, despite having no formal diplomatic role, played a central part in negotiating a Gaza ceasefire, leveraging his influence and business interests in the Middle East, raising concerns about conflicts of interest and influence-peddling within the Trump administration.
The article discusses how former President Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner disrupted the traditional Middle East diplomatic consensus by successfully negotiating normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states, while sidelining established US regional experts and efforts towards a Palestinian state, leading to a shift in US Middle East policy.
President Trump facilitated Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's invitation to a Gaza peace conference in Egypt, but Netanyahu declined due to a Jewish holiday. The summit, involving leaders from over two dozen countries, aimed to bolster Trump's Gaza plan and expand the Abraham Accords. The invitation was arranged during a ride with Trump, highlighting behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts amid ongoing Gaza tensions.
A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has been established, involving key figures such as US officials Trump and Kushner, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Hamas negotiator Hayya, and regional leaders including Qatar's Sheikh Al Thani and former British PM Tony Blair, with the deal influenced by US and regional diplomacy efforts.
Jared Kushner has played a key role in brokering a Gaza ceasefire deal, working alongside US officials and regional leaders to secure the release of hostages and partial Israeli troop withdrawal, marking his return to active diplomacy in the Middle East.
President Trump announced he's likely to visit Israel to address the Knesset following a significant Gaza peace deal, which marks a major diplomatic achievement aimed at ending the two-year conflict, with key issues like prisoner releases and troop withdrawals still to be finalized.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire, marking a significant step towards ending the Gaza war, with key provisions including hostage releases, prisoner swaps, and a potential disarmament of Hamas, brokered through international mediators and supported by global efforts, though many details remain uncertain.
Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey are urging Hamas to accept President Trump's Gaza peace plan, which aims to end the conflict through phased Israeli withdrawal and Hamas disarmament, with the countries acting as mediators and emphasizing the plan's potential benefits and challenges.
During UN week, over 150 countries, including the UK, Canada, and Portugal, recognized Palestine, highlighting a shift in global support amid increased Israeli military actions in Gaza. The U.S. and Israel face diplomatic isolation, with the U.S. under Trump adopting a more anti-Palestinian stance, and Israel considering annexation of parts of the West Bank. Key leaders like Netanyahu and Trump are engaging in discussions on military and diplomatic strategies, with upcoming speeches and meetings aimed at addressing the Gaza conflict and regional peace efforts.
Arab foreign ministers convened in Doha to coordinate a response to Israel's missile strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, which has heightened regional tensions and threatened to disrupt ongoing cease-fire negotiations amid international condemnation and calls for accountability.
Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani is set to meet President Trump in New York following Israeli strikes in Doha, which have heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf. The meeting, part of ongoing Middle East diplomatic efforts, comes amid regional unrest and discussions about defense deals, with Qatar condemning the strikes as 'state terror' and hosting emergency Arab summits.
Mediators from the US, Egypt, and Qatar are rushing to finalize a deal to end the Gaza conflict, which includes the release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawal, and Hamas disarmament, amid ongoing diplomatic efforts and skepticism about Hamas's acceptance of the agreement.
France's decision to recognize a Palestinian state amid ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza is largely symbolic and unlikely to impact the conflict, which continues to worsen. The move is criticized as disconnected from reality and unlikely to bring peace, with the Israeli government emboldened and the two-state solution deemed impossible. The article argues that real progress requires ending the violence and rethinking approaches to Israeli-Palestinian coexistence, rather than symbolic diplomatic gestures.