Joe Biden leaked Israel’s first plan to end the war in Gaza
But hardliners in Israel and Hamas may yet scupper it
The timing of Joe Biden’s speech on May 31st seemed deliberate. It was broadcast on Friday, shortly after sundown in Jerusalem. Israeli cabinet ministers from the religious right would be off their phones and unable to make public statements because the Sabbath had begun. The American president chose this moment to reveal an Israeli proposal to Hamas, the militant group, for what he described as “a road map to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages”.
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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A glimmer of hope”
Middle East & Africa June 8th 2024
- South Africa’s future is in the hands of a divided ANC
- The National Basketball Association is making a big bet on Africa
- Why avocados are driving another sort of green economy in Kenya
- Joe Biden leaked Israel’s first plan to end the war in Gaza
- Talk of war between Israel and Lebanon is growing
- The children of Iran’s revolution still want to go West
From the June 8th 2024 edition
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Hamas’s pick of Yahya Sinwar as leader makes a ceasefire less likely
The appointment of the architect of October 7th ties the group closer to Iran
The Middle East braces for wider war as Iran weighs its response
After Israeli strikes, America is rushing troops to the region and airlines are steering clear
Ethiopia is in the midst of a kidnapping epidemic
As the government hails a new IMF deal, lawlessness is spreading
Somaliland’s camel herders are milking it
Commercial dairies are scaling up an old trade
Will Hamas turn from war to politics?
The assassination of its political leader poses a string of dilemmas
Israeli strikes on Beirut and Tehran could intensify a regional war
At the very least, they will delay talks over a ceasefire in Gaza