Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven't yet, sign up here. US President Joe Biden's administration is running out of time to halt the spiraling Middle East violence that could damage Kamala Harris' chances in the Nov. 5 presidential election. Negotiators from Israel and Hamas are said to be preparing to restart cease-fire talks on Gaza. But US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's 11th visit to the region since the Gaza conflict started last year hasn't yielded any tangible progress toward a halt to Israel's fight against Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. In Gaza, Hamas seems reluctant to compromise even after its leader Yahya Sinwar's death. At the same time, Israel is determined to pursue its attacks on the two groups as it's poised to retaliate for Iran's massive missile assault against it on Oct. 1. That raises the specter of escalating tit-for-tat attacks between Iran and Israel, amid US concerns that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could order a strike on energy or nuclear targets. WATCH: Bloomberg's Stuart Livingstone-Wallace discusses the prospects for a cease-fire. Source: Bloomberg The violence has sparked protests across the world and left progressive voters in the US angry with the Biden-Harris administration's failure to bring peace. Biden has tried to convince Netanyahu to endorse a postwar scenario for Gaza and the occupied West Bank that would involve the moderate Palestinian Authority and Arab nations. That, in turn, could unlock a historic detente between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu is also under pressure from right-wing allies in his fragile coalition government who view any move to establish an independent Palestinian state as anathema. While Netanyahu has said Sinwar's killing last week could help Israel to achieve its war goals, he's vowed to keep up the pressure on Hamas and Hezbollah. More than a year since Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel, hopes for any letup soon in the conflict in Gaza and fighting in Lebanon are quickly fading. — Henry Meyer A woman walks past destroyed buildings in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on Oct. 17. Photographer: Bashar Taleb/AFP/Getty Images |
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