The harrowing details in this report about the exploding pagers include one that detonated in a paediatrician's examining room while a 10-day old baby was lying on the examining table. newlinesmag.com/spotlight/doct…

Can Israel's economy survive a long war with Hezbollah? The deficit is soaring, the labor market is starved of workers and the country's banks are experiencing capital flight. "Whatever happens, Israeli economists are resigned to things getting worse." economist.com/finance-and-ec…

Senior Israeli Official to Sky News: “The reports on a ceasefire are false. The Prime Minister instructed the IDF to continue at full force in accordance to the plans presented to him. Furthermore, the war in Gaza will also continue until all our war objectives are achieved.”

JERUSALEM, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Thursday rejected proposals from the U.S. and France calling for a 21-day ceasefire in Lebanon, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had not responded but told the army to keep up its operation.

Somehow Western diplomats still manage to sound shocked that Netanyahu and his ministers are trying to torpedo their ceasefire plans ("this looks like a deliberate attempt to damage the negotiations"), as if this hasn't been going on for almost a year now haaretz.com/israel-news/20…

The presidential race is far tighter than many Democrats probably realize | John Zogby | The Guardian theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

🚨Ben Gvir makes one of his most explicit ultimatums yet, telling Netanyahu that if he agrees to a temporary ceasefire, his MKs would no longer vote with the coalition. If Netanyahu signs a permanent ceasefire, Ben Gvir & Co will quit the coalition and bring Netanyahu down.

Breaking Israel just carried out an airstrike on Dahieh, Southern suburbs of Beirut This is what is seen from our balcony in Achrafieh. Sent to me by one of my neighbours

“Musk presented the Italian prime minister with the Global Citizen Award from the Atlantic Council think tank…” Wait what? politico.eu/article/elon-m…

"Israel rejects ceasefire talks and keeps up Lebanon attacks .. The proposal for a three-week cease-fire is being led by US President and his French counterpart .. More than 600 people, including at least 50 children, have been killed since Monday" bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

The proposal was from the US, France, and a slew of other countries. Rejected by the Israelis, because clearly no penalty is suggested if Israel does reject. If DC is serious, it has to use the leverage it has to make this ceasefire happen. Unfortunately, doesn't seem likely.

This is a message to DC as much as it is to the international community. However, DC persists in promoting the rhetoric of the importance of de-escalation, while risking all out escalation, because it fails to use its leverage to ensure a change in Israeli behaviour.

Israel and Lebanon privately gave mediators their support for a 21-day ceasefire on the Blue Line before it was announced in a joint statement led by the US and France last night, a senior Western diplomat tells The Times of Israel (1/3)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quickly distanced himself from the proposal after it was announced, saying Israel has yet to formally respond and that the IDF would continue striking Hezbollah with full force. (2/3)

The Western diplomat says Netanyahu’s conduct is extension of how he handled the Gaza hostage talks where he has privately agreed to show flexibility only to make public statement immediately afterward aimed at calming his political base but that risked thwarting progress (3/3)

And herein lies the rub.

A congressional call for Blinken to resign over his rejection of the assessment by USAID and others that Israel is blocking aid to Gaza

I mean... x.com/idreesali114/s…

I mean...

Exact same thing happened when Biden tried to push a Gaza truce: "Netanyahu has reversed his stance on a ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, retracting verbal commitments he made to the US administration... in response to mounting pressure within Israel." haaretz.com/israel-news/20…