THIS WEEK WE have one cover, on the daunting challenges in Gaza: the destruction, the obstacles a ground invasion will face and the options for the territory’s long-term future. The stakes could hardly be higher. After a devastating blast in a hospital in Gaza, Arab countries rushed to condemn Israel. Hizbullah, a heavily armed Lebanese militia, is lurching closer to outright war with Israel. Only America can bring the Middle East back from the brink.

Leader: The stakes could hardly be higher in the Israel-Gaza conflict
Briefing: As Israel’s invasion of Gaza nears, the obstacles get more daunting
Briefing: Israel’s four unpalatable options for Gaza’s long-term future
Graphic Detail: Mapping Israel’s war in Gaza