Hamas’s red lines were set by Yahya Sinwar: an immediate end to the war and the total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in exchange for more hostage releases. Benjamin Netanyahu has his own  red lines but they read very differently. He wants Hamas to lay down its arms and surrender, and to free all the hostages, alive or dead.

At this point there would appear to be no room for compromise on either side. But the dynamics of the war in Gaza have changed dramatically.