Is US support for Israel complicating efforts to reach peace in Gaza?

There’s been widespread international condemnation of Israel’s renewed bombing of Gaza, including from the United Nations.

But the United States was the only country on the 15-member UN Security Council to back Israel’s air strikes at a meeting on Tuesday.

Emboldened by US President Donald Trump’s support, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says negotiations with Hamas will only continue “under fire”.

After Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza, Itamar Ben-Gvir was reappointed as Israel’s national security minister – a move likely to strengthen Netanyahu’s coalition government.

Where does this leave Hamas and the mediators?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Brian Finucane – Senior adviser to the US Program at the International Crisis Group

Danilo Della Valle – Member of the European Parliament for Italy’s Five Star Movement

Yousef Munayyer – Head of the Palestine-Israel Program and a senior fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC