Trump sidelines Israel, Gaza expansion looms

<p>Israel is planning a major escalation of its military campaign in Gaza — one that the government says is necessary to eradicate Hamas, but which rights groups have said amounts to the annexation of the Palestinian territory.</p><p><br></p><p>It comes amid apparent rifts between the U.S. and Israel. Trump is currently on a tour of the Middle East which won’t include a stop in Israel; he has conducted talks with a number of countries in the region without notifying Israel; and the U.S. has just secured the release of a hostage from Gaza — again without any Israeli involvement.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>What does all this mean for US-Israel relations? Could it mean that the Trump administration may intervene in an expanded military campaign? Or broker a lasting ceasefire?</p><p><br></p><p>Today we’re joined by Meron Rapoport. He’s a 35-year veteran of the Israeli news industry and was formerly the head of news at Israel's Ha’aretz newspaper. Today, he works as an editor at Local Call, a Hebrew-language news organization operating in Israel.</p><p><br></p><p>For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts</a></p>