\n<\/p>\n
Welcome back to Foreign Policy<\/em>\u2019s Situation Report, where, among other storylines, we\u2019re watching what appears to be a quiet but quick sidelining of Elon Musk by U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration. More on that from Rishi here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what\u2019s on tap for the day: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong> faces growing pressure over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, drone warfare between Ukraine<\/strong> and Russia<\/strong> sharply escalates, and Iran nuclear deal<\/strong> negotiations hit a snag.<\/p>\n As the Israeli military escalates ground operations in Gaza, Netanyahu is facing rising domestic and international pressure to shift course amid a worsening humanitarian crisis there.<\/p>\n In a sign that he\u2019s beginning to feel the heat, Netanyahu on May 18 announced<\/a> that Israel would partially end its nearly three-month blockade on aid into Gaza. The blockade, which sparked concerns of famine, was condemned worldwide. Netanyahu said<\/a> his decision came after warnings from allies, including U.S. senators, who told him \u201cimages of mass famine\u201d would jeopardize support for Israel.<\/p>\n Even Trump, whose 2024 election victory was seen as a win for Netanyahu, has in recent days raised alarm<\/a> about Palestinians starving. Trump officials have also been critical<\/a> of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, warning that it\u2019s undermining Israel\u2019s standing.<\/p>\n On different pages.<\/strong> The U.S. president did not make a stop in Israel during his trip to the Middle East last week. And although Israel denied<\/a> that Trump was snubbing Netanyahu, this came amid questions over whether the Trump administration has been bypassing<\/a> the Israeli leader on various issues.<\/p>\n Trump 2.0 has still been very supportive of Israel\u2014but not to the extent that Netanyahu appeared to expect based on their history<\/a>. At a time when Netanyahu says Israel is deploying a \u201cmassive force to take control of all of the Gaza Strip,\u201d the White House this week said<\/a> Trump has \u201cmade it very clear\u201d that he wants the war to end.<\/p>\n The leaders of France, the United Kingdom, and Canada also issued fierce criticism<\/a> of the Israeli government this week. They described the situation in Gaza as \u201cintolerable\u201d and threatened to take \u201cconcrete actions\u201d if Israel didn\u2019t \u201ccease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Israel\u2019s traditional allies are growing impatient with its actions in the war, they were also quick to condemn<\/a> the killings of two Israeli Embassy staffers\u2014\u200bYaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim\u2014in Washington on Wednesday. The suspect in the shooting, which occurred outside the Capital Jewish Museum, reportedly shouted<\/a> \u201cFree Palestine\u201d as he was being arrested.<\/p>\n Netanyahu and far-right ministers in his government blamed the killings<\/a> on critics of the war in Gaza, including opposition politician Yair Golan, who recently warned that Israel was at risk of becoming a \u201cpariah state<\/a>\u201d because of its actions in the conflict.<\/p>\n Golan, a former general, said, \u201cA sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a pastime, and does not engage in mass population displacement.\u201d<\/p>\n Criticism at home.<\/strong> Though Golan\u2019s provocative words sparked outrage among politicians in Netanyahu\u2019s coalition, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said<\/a> Golan\u2019s comments reflect \u201cwhat many people think.\u201d<\/p>\n Recent polling<\/a> has shown that a strong majority of Israelis (about 70 percent) would support ending the war if the remaining 58 hostages held by Hamas, of whom 20 are thought to still be alive, were released. Hostage family members, who are among Netanyahu\u2019s biggest critics, have also expressed opposition to continuing the war<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yotam Cohen, the brother of Nimrod Cohen, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier who was captured by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and is believed to still be alive, told SitRep that the \u201cvast majority\u201d of Israelis \u201cwant the hostages to be released and brought back even in the price of ending the war.\u201d<\/p>\n Cohen said the Israeli government is ignoring the will of the people. \u201cEnding the war would be the right thing to do for the hostages, for us as hostage families, and for the entirety of the people of Israel,\u201d Cohen said.<\/p>\n Critics of the war have contended that Netanyahu\u2014who is on trial for corruption<\/a>\u2014is only continuing it for political reasons, as far-right members of his fragile coalition have threatened to collapse the government if Netanyahu ends the fighting.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that the prime minister and his coalition partners are not listening to what the people of Israel have been wanting,\u201d Ruby Chen, the father of American Israeli IDF soldier and hostage Itay Chen, who is believed to have been killed on Oct. 7, 2023, told SitRep on Monday.<\/p>\n As the longest-serving prime minister in Israel\u2019s history, Netanyahu has exhibited a remarkable ability for political survival throughout his career. Though the Israeli leader finds himself in an increasingly precarious position, it\u2019s far too early to make predictions on Netanyahu\u2019s political future. And despite growing opposition to his prosecution of the Gaza war, Netanyahu doesn\u2019t seem to be fully backing down and on Thursday said<\/a> Trump still supports his objectives.<\/p>\n What should be high on your radar, if it isn\u2019t already.<\/em><\/p>\n Drone strikes.<\/strong> Russia\u2019s defense ministry on Thursday said it had shot down<\/a> 485 drones launched by Ukraine this week, including 63 over its capital region. Meanwhile, Russia launched 128 drones at Ukraine on Thursday, damaging residential buildings in the Dnipro and Kharkiv regions. In Kyiv, falling debris from intercepted drones landed in a schoolyard, the New York Times<\/em> reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n The war between the two countries has intensified following an inconclusive two-hour phone call<\/a> between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday that failed to produce meaningful progress towards a ceasefire.<\/p>\n Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted<\/a> on X on Wednesday that he had spoken with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and that the two discussed possible \u201csanctions that can have a real impact on Russia\u201d as well as \u201ccontinuing negotiations with the Russian side regarding a ceasefire.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s Golden Dome.<\/strong> Trump on Tuesday unveiled plans to develop his oft-touted \u201cGolden Dome<\/a>\u201d missile defense shield for the United States, which he said would \u201cprotect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump said the system, modeled after Israel\u2019s Iron Dome<\/a>, is expected to be operational within three years, adding that Canada had expressed interest in being covered by the system as well. Trump\u2019s budget bill passed by the House on Thursday includes $25 billion to build the Golden Dome, but Trump said the total cost is expected to eventually rise to $175 billion.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also not a new concept, having originally been proposed<\/a> by President Ronald Reagan back in the 1980s.<\/p>\n