The financial markets in Israel have in recent days been behaving as if they know something we don’t. With the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas set to begin on Sunday, the shekel is strengthening, and the stock market gains suggest hopes that go far beyond an end to the fighting in Gaza.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is ready to go, but requires following through on ending the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and a commitment to a pathway to a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is tapping the brakes on claims of success by President Biden, President-elect Trump and partners in the Middle East that a ceasefire and hostage release

Israel’s national security minister Ben Gvir claimed he has repeatedly foiled a hostage and ceasefire deal with Hamas over the past year as he threatened to quit the Benjamin Netanyahu cabinet over a fresh deal being brokered by the US.

Hamas has accepted a draft agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip whilst Israel insists details are still being finalised

We must ensure that Hamas is unable to rule the Gaza Strip and that the Palestinian Authority, after its reform, takes over the rule of the Strip,’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which he negotiated but did not complete, remained the best way to encourage Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Saudi Arabia brings out the worst in the world of international sports in terms of politics and greed. FIFA’s awarding Saudi Arabia the 2034 World Cup hosting rights is just the tip of the iceberg.

Gulf countries, including Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, have strongly condemned an Israeli map published on official social media accounts that asserts "historical territorial rights" over Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

Shafrir notes that Israel's risk premium is still at high levels: "Israel's risk premium has already fallen sharply since the beginning of November (against expectations at the time for an end to the war in Lebanon), but it is still high - on the international market, Israel's bonds are still traded similarly to companies with a BBB minus rating."

Sharaa, who led Islamist rebel group that toppled regime, urges sanctions relief, as West moves to provide humanitarian essentials while demanding inclusive government