"Hamas likely is trying to nix the Saudi-Israeli rapprochement, which could see Palestinian interests sold down the river by Saudi Arabia in order to get a US security guarantee," Eland said. "Also, Hamas may be making a statement about the conservative Israeli government accelerating settlement of the West Bank."
On Monday, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said it is too early to tell what impact the Israel-Hamas conflict will have on normalization talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but noted that the process is still ongoing. Kirby also mentioned that the United States has seen no hard evidence indicating Iran was involved in the Hamas attacks over the weekend.
According to Eland, the conflict between Israel and Hamas could escalate regionally, but Syria is too weak from its civil war and Iran is also unstable.
"Neither probably wants a direct war with Israel. And for good measure, the US seems to be inclined to get involved more directly if either of these countries do," Eland said.
Eland expects aid to Ukraine will probably continue but at a reduced level as the United States pivots its attention monetarily to Israel's security needs.
US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the US military will need additional support from Congress to be able to provide security assistance to Ukraine and Israel simultaneously.
On Saturday, Hamas launched a surprise large-scale attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip, prompting Israel to declare a state of war. The Israeli and Palestinian authorities have reported hundreds of dead and thousands of injured as a result of the escalation in fighting.