Israel is operating militarily in Syria with increasing frequency and boldness in its ongoing efforts to contain Iranian entrenchment there and prevent Tehran from using the country as a route for transferring advanced weapons and ammunition to its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah.

One of the landmarks in every election in Israel — and they happen to be rather frequent — is the parties finalizing their slates and submitting them to the Central Election Committee, a ritual that has become almost annual in recent years.

Ronen Bar, who heads Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service, is regarded as a level-headed official and not one inclined to hyperbole: Therefore, his warning of the deteriorating situation in the West Bank must be taken seriously.

Last week, Khalil Awawdeh, a 40-year-old Palestinian father of four from the occupied West Bank, ended a six-month hunger strike after Israeli authorities agreed to have him released from administrative arrest.

Slowly and surely, but hardly with certainty or a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, the US and Iran are edging ever closer toward a possible agreement on a new version of the 2015 nuclear deal, more formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

For a politician, a concession speech is the beginning of a grieving period and an acknowledgment that their career in politics is either on hold or, more often than not, over.