The nature of the Israel-Hamas fight will ensure that further indeterminate battles lay ahead.

From Israel's perspective, several issues must be addressed before it is prepared to halt the military campaign.

For Israel, any agreement must include securing Fajr-5s rockets, which can reach Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

In the past, geography and geopolitics have made control of the Levant a critical issue for more than just the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Hamas rules the Gaza Strip, but isn't able to control rival factions who seek to undermine its influence.

If the International Monetary Fund is willing to risk letting the eurozone inch closer to the brink, a new dynamic could be emerging.

The question is whether mortar and small-arms rounds that hit the Golan Heights were intended to do so.

If true, the reported incident raises the question of why Iran would launch such an attack now.

In Beijing, London and Washington, efforts to deal with major problems are being complicated by internal stalemates.

A dubious "safe exit" for al Assad without immunity could end up prolonging the violence in Syria.