Amidst criticism at home and abroad, Netanyahu prepares to addresses US congress / Illegal hunting in Lebanon threatens bird species
Hello from Tel Aviv,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the US Congress in DC tomorrow. Here in Israel many are critical of the timing of the visit, as the war in Gaza rages on with no sign of a hostage deal.
Netanyahu is facing criticism from senior Israeli defence officials and families of hostages, who claim that Netanyahu is sabotaging the negotiations on a deal for their release and according to polling conducted by Haaretz, 70 Percent of Israelis think Netanyahu is not doing enough to get hostages released.
There has been a consensus growing among Israeli defence officials that it is both possible and necessary to reach a deal with Hamas on returning the hostages in Gaza in the coming weeks.
The Israel military’s support for a deal stems in part from its strategic priorities. The army increasingly thinks the challenges on other fronts – Hezbollah, the Houthis and, behind them, the guiding hand of Iran – are intensifying, and therefore require more monitoring, preparation and allocation of resources.
Some relatives of the hostages will be protesting Neyanyahu’s visit in DC."We're here to send a message that (Netanyahu) cannot just go to America and get a standing ovation in Congress as if he won this war and freed the hostages," says Zahiro Shachar Mor, the nephew of 79-year-old hostage Avraham Mundar. "We are here to show the world that… the voice of Netanyahu is not the voice of Israel."
I also wrote about the impact of social media on illegal hunting of migratory birds in northern Lebanon for The Guardian. You can read the article here (no paywall)
Some pieces worth your time this week:
The Associated Press - Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah sign declaration in Beijing on ending yearsvlong rift, as war in Gaza rages on, Chinese state media says
Channel 4, 400,000 Palestinian residents ordered to leave Khan Younis
Have a good week,
Hannah