In the news
On 12 November, US President-elect Donald J Trump nominated Florida Senator Marco Rubio as US Secretary of State. Republican leader Michael Waltz was selected as National Security Advisor and former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

On 11 November, US President-elect Donald J Trump nominated former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, as US Ambassador to Israel, calling him a “leader in faith” who “loves Israel” and “will work tirelessly to bring about Peace in the Middle East.” 

On the same day, Trump nominated Fox News journalist and US Army Captain Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defence, calling him a “patriotic champion of our Peace through Strength policy.”

On 10 November, Trump appointed New York Representative Elise Stefanik as US Ambassador to the UN. 

On the same day, the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC) alert issued on 8 November that famine was “imminent” in the northern Gaza Strip. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris accused Israel of contributing to famine in the enclave by using starvation as a method of warfare and emptying Gaza of Palestinians using forced displacement. She highlighted that “failure by Palestinian armed groups to comply with international humanitarian law does not remove or reduce the obligation of Israeli forces to comply.”

On the same day, Hezbollah fired at least ten rockets and drones into northern and central Israel, killing two civilians in northern Israel’s Nahariya region and injuring two others in the Kibbutz Kabri region. On the same day, a Hezbollah drone struck near a kindergarten in northern Israel’s Nesher town. There were no injuries. 

On the same day, the Israel Air Force (IAF) struck around 100 targets in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah’s fighters, weapons depots and other infrastructure. Additionally, the IAF conducted airstrikes south of Beirut and stated that it had destroyed the majority of Hezbollah’s weapons storehouses in the Lebanese capital.

Issues at large
First, Trump's approach to the Middle East and the appointments. While Trump campaigned to wind down US entanglements in global conflicts, including the Middle East, he gave Israel complete support and freedom to conduct military operations in Gaza, encouraging Netanyahu to “do what you have to do” to “finish the job.” On Iran, Trump stated that his policy would be of “maximum pressure” on the Islamic Republic, leading to “peace through strength” for the US and its middle-eastern allies. He has promised to restrict Iran’s oil exports and intensify sanctions to tighten “the economic noose around” Tehran. Furthermore, Trump is committed to a harsher nuclear deal with Iran, stronger military action against Iran’s regional “proxies,” and support for Netanyahu’s offensive posture against Iran. On regional peace, Trump aims to revive the Arab-Israeli normalisation efforts. However, Trump also said he wants Israel a quick victory and wrap up operations by the time he enters office because “the killing (presumably of Palestinians) has to stop.” Despite his calls for peace, recent foreign and security appointments are all staunchly pro-Israel and hawkishly anti-Iran, reflecting his identification of Tehran as the primary threat to Washington’s interests in the Middle East. While Waltz shares Trump’s assertive policy towards Iran, Rubio blamed Hamas for civilian deaths in Gaza and encouraged Israel to destroy the armed group. Huckabee, Washington’s new Ambassador to Jerusalem, recognised the US as a “strong ally” of Israel and refused to identify Jewish communities in the West Bank as “occupation.” Stefanik, Trump’s appointment for the UN, has criticised the UN’s role in the Gaza conflict, accusing it of pro-Hamas bias. Since his Fox News days, Hegseth has advocated unrestrained US support for Israel, including forcible denuclearisation of Iran by US airstrikes.  Ratcliffe, the former DNI, criticised Biden for taking a soft approach against Iran and jeopardising Israel’s security. He staunchly supports Israel’s strategy of escalation dominance against Iran

Second, the humanitarian crisis in northern Gaza and accusations against Israel. In October, the IDF began renewed operations in northern Gaza, alleging that Hamas had regrouped in the area. Israel subsequently ordered an evacuation of the region and blocked entry of humanitarian aid. On 5 November, the IDF stated that Gazan civilians who had left northern Gaza would not be allowed to return, inviting allegations from humanitarian groups that Israel is trying to depopulate part of Gaza and gradually make it uninhabitable. Furthermore, the IDF has built multiple roads crisscrossing the enclave, including northern Gaza’s Netazarim Corridor and southern Gaza’s Philadelphi Corridor, leading to allegations that Israel was planning to occupy and eventually resettle Gaza. 

Third, the continuing Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel invaded Lebanon on 1 October to stop Hezbollah’s rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel. It sought to push the armed group north of central Lebanon’s Litany River by destroying its capabilities and personnel in southern Lebanon. The IDF has followed a two-pronged strategy of conducting infantry and artillery-driven operations focused on southern Lebanon and airstrikes across southern Lebanon and Beirut. Both are aimed to destroy Hezbollah's weapons stores, especially those located within civilian houses, and continue killing its new leaders. According to the Washington Post, Israel conducted over 3200 airstrikes in Lebanon in October, with an average of over 100 strikes daily. Despite suffering losses and losing territory, Hezbollah has continued to strike northern Israel, indicating that it has acquired projectiles with increased range and can attack from deeper inside Lebanon. 
 
In perspective
First, Trump’s Presidency will intensify support for Israel. Unlike Biden, who occasionally criticised Israel on humanitarian grounds and threatened to reduce military supplies without imposing tangible costs on the latter, Trump will support Israel without moderating his rhetoric with humanitarian support for Palestinians. It may produce a return to the pre-war situation of ‘occupation without consequences’ for Israel. 

Second, with stronger US support, IDF operations in Gaza and Lebanon will continue. With Trump’s cabinet filled with staunch pro-Israel appointees, Israel will have no incentive to compromise with its objectives and cooperate with peace efforts.