The United States is trying to end the wars in the Middle East.

During the busy 2024 presidential campaign, the United States and Israel have made remarkable progress in resolving three dangerous conflicts—Israel's tit-for-tat standoff with Iran, the confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the brutal annual war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

One US official familiar with the views of Antony Blinken believes that the US Secretary of State is getting closer to resolving these conflicts. Israel shares that optimism, according to one Israeli familiar with the government's view, said David Ignatius, a columnist for The Washington Post.

One potential problem is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to fire Defense Minister Yoav Galant, which came as a surprise even to the Israeli leader's closest advisers. While the move may throw Israeli politics into chaos, it will not diminish the country's defense leadership's determination to end these conflicts.

“The conflict between Israel and Iran remains the most dangerous of the three wars. Tensions seemed to ease last month after two rounds of Iranian missile attacks and targeted Israeli countermeasures. Iran could incite Shiite militias in Iraq and use Shahed drones to indirectly attack Israel, Blinken said.

US diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Lebanon are receiving strong support from senior Lebanese officials. It seems that Israel is also ready to negotiate a ceasefire in Lebanon. An Israeli official told Blinken that IDF leaders believe they have achieved their goal of humiliating Hezbollah.

The situation in Gaza is the most difficult. A year's efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages have stalled. Blinken appears willing to propose a plan for transitional governance in Gaza and bring the issue of hostage release up for separate discussion as part of an overall final settlement. Foreign countries will support security efforts in Gaza, although Palestinian forces not affiliated with Hamas will be on the ground. The Biden administration hopes the UN will support this transition mechanism in some form.