The international community, along with nearly all Palestinians and many Israelis, wanted the war to end a long time ago – and a ceasefire seemed possible as recently as last month. So why is the conflict set to become even bloodier, nearly two years after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack? Critics of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accuse him of prolonging the war for political reasons. Netanyahu blames Hamas, which still holds around 20 living hostages, and says criticism of Israel’s wartime conduct is only making the militant group more intransigent. US President Donald Trump says he wants the war to end and the hostages to come home. But his envoy, Steve Witkoff, walked away from ceasefire talks last month, blaming Hamas, and the president has exerted no public pressure on Israel to change course since it ended a ceasefire in March that he helped broker. It’s unclear if the US is pursuing a different strategy behind the scenes.

Hamas said last week that it accepted a ceasefire proposal that mediators described as being nearly identical to one Israel had approved. The US and Israel have yet to respond publicly. It’s unclear if the allies, which have recently hinted at seeking a comprehensive deal, are working on something behind the scenes. (Jamaica Gleaner)