Arab governments emphasized this week that that the root issue underlying the violence — the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict — must be resolved.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Thursday his country had “delivered a hand slap to America’s face” and warned against any further U.S. attacks in his first public comments since a ceasefire was declared with Israel.

It’s not just a diminished Iran and its impact on Hamas that gives hostage families hope. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose.