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We are still waiting for Iran’s response to the assassination in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader.
But amid the uncertainty of the moment, a couple of things are becoming clear. First, Hamas has not been cowed by the killing. Rather, the group has replaced its slain chief negotiator with Yahya Sinwar – an architect of the Oct. 7 attacks deemed to be far more extreme than his predecessor. In a profile of Sinwar, University of London’s Leonie Fleischmann explains: “Any suggestion that Hamas may look to pursue more pragmatic avenues to achieve Palestinian liberation under Sinwar seems unlikely…Sinwar has objected to any discussion of laying down arms and aspires for Hamas to become for Gaza what Hezbollah is for Lebanon.”
So what does that mean for Middle East negotiations and the states trying to facilitate them? Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, a Gulf States expert at Rice University in the U.S., explains that Qatari-led efforts were already faltering before the latest developments. With the replacement of Doha-based Haniyeh with a hardliner believed to be residing in the tunnels of Gaza, the idea of a negotiated way out of the war seems a very long way off.
Also in today’s newsletter, how people power ousted Bangladesh’s autocratic leader and the anti-corruption legacy of the Paris Olympics.
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Yahya Sinwar (centre) waving to supporters during a Hamas rally in Gaza City in 2018.
Mohammed Saber / EPA
Leonie Fleischmann, City, University of London
Both Hamas and the Israeli government have doubled down on their determination to continue the conflict.
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Anti-government protesters celebrate the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sazzad Hossain/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Tazreena Sajjad, American University School of International Service
Military leaders have formed an interim government and promised a transition to civilian rule. Protesters who brought down the previous government are demanding nothing less.
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STR/AFP via Getty Images
Adam Simpson, University of South Australia
The military has lost one of its regional military command centres for the first time. What happens next may depend on Myanmar’s neighbour across the border – China.
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Jaime Schultz, Penn State
Most sports are organized according to a strict male-female binary. Nature isn’t.
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Milad Haghani, UNSW Sydney
Authorities have cancelled the singer’s three shows in Vienna after foiling a terrorist threat. In an environment of rising global tensions, vigilance is key.
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Jung Woo Lee, The University of Edinburgh
One of the world’s most secretive states, North Korea, has resumed its ‘sports diplomacy’ at Paris 2024.
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Jay Silverstein, Nottingham Trent University
Pfc Charles McAllister will finally be laid to rest in his home town on Seattle.
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Jorge Heine, Boston University
Leader of Vietnam’s Communist Party died on July 19, 2024. Among those who paid tribute was US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
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Shahzad Uddin, University of Essex
Bangladesh’s repressive leader has been forced out after 15 years in power.
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Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Rice University
Successor to slain Palestinian negotiator is a hardliner who resides in Gaza’s tunnels and has no realistic chance of being in Doha for talks.
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