Here we go again. As the Senate worked furiously over the last several days to bring a $95 billion aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan across the finish line, a minority of Republicans, at the urging of former President Donald Trump and led by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), have been working just as hard to block any additional aid to Ukraine
Four months into the Israel-Hamas war, Qatar and Egypt are mediating a renewed negotiations process to bring about an extended pause to the conflict, which could be used as the basis for a permanent ceasefire. More than 27,000 Palestinians, over 1,400 Israelis, and at least 136 UNRWA aid workers have been killed to date, while more than 130 Israelis remain in captivity.
As the Israel-Hamas war reaches the one-month mark, calls for a ceasefire, or at least a humanitarian pause, are growing ever louder. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is steadily worsening and the civilian death toll continues to rise amid Israel’s punishing bombing campaign and widening ground assault, sparked by the brutal terrorist attacks of Oct. 7. Meanwhile, Hamas and other groups in Gaza are still holding roughly 240 hostages, mostly Israelis, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted there will be no humanitarian pause until they are released.