After ending a ceasefire two months ago, Israel is intensifying the war in the Gaza Strip, where a blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is worsening a humanitarian crisis. And Iran, an enemy of Israel and a rival of Saudi Arabia, stands on the cusp of being able to develop nuclear weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would normally celebrate a hostage release such as that taking place on Monday, though in this case the deal with Hamas is another sign US President Donald Trump is starting to make decisions without him.

Netanyahu was blindsided — and infuriated — this past week by Trump’s announcement that the U.S. was halting its military campaign against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen after the Houthis agreed to stop firing on U.S. ships in the Red Sea, according to one of the U.S. officials and the two Middle East diplomats.