“Israel and Saudi Arabia have recently reached a breakthrough in normalization talks that could also facilitate a deal for the release of hostages held by Hamas and an end to the war in Gaza,” Haaretz reports. “Sources familiar with the negotiations said that instead of explicit Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state, as Saudi Arabia had previously demanded, the sides agreed that Israel would provide the kingdom with a vague commitment to a ‘path towards Palestinian statehood.’ This would allow Saudi Arabia to fulfill its pledge not to abandon the Palestinians.”