After a dramatic week in Gaza, where does the war stand?
The Rafah offensive has not really begun, and a ceasefire is probably still weeks away at best
FOR MONTHS diplomats in the Middle East have obsessed over two issues. One is the stop-start effort to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which would see the group release some of its hostages. The other is the long-threatened Israeli offensive in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, now home to 1.5m people displaced from elsewhere in the enclave. It was a stark choice: either a deal to pause the war or an offensive to widen it.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Running in place”
From the May 11th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East & Africa
West African booze is becoming a luxury product
Female entrepreneurs are leading the charge
First, the ceasefire. Next the Trump effect could upend the Middle East
Will Israel and Donald Trump use the threat of annexation to secure a new grand bargain?
After 15 months of hell, Israel and Hamas sign a ceasefire deal
Donald Trump provided the X factor by putting heat on Binyamin Netanyahu, who insists the war isn’t over yet
A hidden refuge in Sudan that the internet, banks—and war—can’t reach
A visit to the Nuba mountains provides a glimpse into the future of the country
Violent jihadists are getting frustrated by the new Syria
Tipsy dancers, Christmas decorations, Shias and women’s rights are in the crosshairs
America concludes genocide has been committed in Sudan—again
The move highlights the magnitude of Sudan’s civil war but does little to end it