Welcome to the President's Inbox, a CFR podcast about the foreign policy challenges facing the United States.

I'm Jim Lindsay, Director of Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

This week's topic is The Future of the Israel-Hamas War.

With me to discuss the diplomatic and political challenges touched off by Hamas' attack on

Israel is Linda Robinson, a senior fellow for women in foreign policy here at the council.

Linda is a distinguished author, analyst, and prize-winning foreign correspondent.

She wrote for many years for U.S. News and World Report.

She has written numerous books, articles, and op-eds, including 100 victories, special ops, and the future of American warfare.

Linda was a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation from 2013 to 22,

where she also directed the Center for Middle East Public Policy from 2020 to 2022.

She has advised the U.S. government in several capacities, most recently as a senior advisor at the U.S.

State Department on the U.S.

strategy to prevent conflict and promote stability. Linda, thank you for coming on the president's

inbox. Thanks so much, Jim. Happy to be with you. I'd like to begin with what is happening on the

ground before we shift to the diplomatic and political aspects of the crisis.

Obviously, we're facing a volatile and fluid situation.

Things could change before this episode airs.

But as of the time we're talking, Linda, Israel has yet to respond with the long talked about

ground invasion. Instead, Israel so far has limited itself

to air strikes and missile strikes against Gaza. Can you help me understand why the ground

invasion has yet to begin? The United States government has been discussing intensively with the Israeli government, its view that a pause in the ground operation will allow more time for additional hostage release.

The good news, of course, is two Americans were released already, but there are 10

...