Michaela Millender

U.S. and regional officials have been frustrated at the lack of movement toward the adoption of a three-phase roadmap for a settlement of the Gaza war articulated by President Joseph Biden on May 31.

The second round of the French elections have resulted in a significant win for the left-wing coalition Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), which now holds the most seats in the National Assembly.

More than two decades after launching the “Global War on Terrorism,” the United States has shifted focus to great power competition or strategically maneuvering against near-peer rivals, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

After a snap election was called by former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Britons went to the polls on July 4, resulting in a landslide victory for the left-wing Labour Party.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is running against incumbent President Joe Biden, narrowly survived an assassination attempt following a campaign rally in Butler, PA, over the weekend.

Israeli and U.S. officials blamed Lebanese Hezbollah for a rocket attack on Saturday that killed 12 Druze children and teenagers and injured 20 others when a missile struck a soccer field in the Golan Heights city of Majdal Shams.

Bottom Line Up Front The long-planned U.S. visit of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was clouded by the political uncertainty in the U.S. as the November presidential election approaches.

Over the past two days, Israel has conducted targeted assassinations of Fuad Shukr, a senior Hezbollah figure close to Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, and Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas's political office.

Iran and its allies in the “Axis of Resistance” likely perceive recent Israeli attacks as an escalation designed to provoke a broader regional confrontation on Israel's terms.

Bottom Line Up Front The elevation of Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, to the top post in the broader organization, will complicate mediation efforts to terminate the war in Gaza.