Middle East & Africa | Triple trouble

America’s election and Israel’s wars reach a crescendo—together

An Israeli aerial strike on Iran remains likely in the coming days 

Israeli soldiers walk near the border with Gaza Strip in southern Israel
Photograph: AFP
|JERUSALEM

WHEN MIGHT the fighting in the Middle East stop? The region is in the grip of a trio of wars that are connected yet also partly independent and dangerously unpredictable. Israel will probably attack Iran in the coming days in retaliation for its missile salvo of October 1st. Violence in Gaza continues to flare up despite the death of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas mastermind behind the October 7th attacks. And Israel’s war in Lebanon rages on: on October 21st America’s envoy said it had “escalated out of control”.

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