Hal Brands, Columnist

Hamas Consigns the Pax Americana to History Books

The international order is under more stress, in more places, than at any time since the chaotic aftermath of World War II.

October 9, 2023 at 9:00 AM UTC

By Hal Brands

Hal Brands is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and the Henry Kissinger Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.

Out of Gaza, global instability.
Photographer: Mahmud Hams/AFP

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Hamas’ surprise assault against Israel is tragic in its own right: The Israeli death toll, relative to population, is several times worse than 9/11 was for the US. Things could still get much nastier if Hezbollah — Iran’s Lebanese proxy — fully enters the fray, confronting Israel with a multifront fight and regionalizing the conflict.

Yet the war in the Levant is also part of a broader, intensifying crisis of global security.