All Middle East
Israelis and Palestinians greet Gaza deal with joy, relief, and cautionAs Israel and Hamas finalize the first phase of the Gaza peace plan, many in the region are focused on what can go wrong. Even so, joy is enveloping many Israelis and Palestinians eager for emotional and physical relief.
Gaza breakthrough: Israel and Hamas approve first phase of Trump planAgreement by the two warring parties in Gaza after months of tense negotiations and near-deals brought widespread relief, raising hopes that a war that was sparked by Hamas鈥� deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack will finally be brought to a close.
Distrustful of US and Israel, Palestinians are cool to Trump鈥檚 Gaza planIn Gaza, which experienced tremendous loss from the war, and in the West Bank, facing settler violence and military restrictions, distrust of Israel and the U.S. runs deep. Many Palestinians say the Trump plan will not bring peace.
Oct. 7 plus two years: In Israel, fatigue, lingering anger, a glimmer of hopeTwo years after the massacre that ignited the war in Gaza, Monitor correspondent Dina Kraft reflects on how Oct. 7 has exhausted Israelis and changed the country, which is experiencing anger, doubts, and concern over internal dissent.
Why Netanyahu had to say 鈥榶es鈥� to Trump鈥檚 ceasefire plan for GazaIsolated abroad and under constant pressure at home, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had no other option but to comply when his chief patron, U.S. President Donald Trump, hailed Hamas鈥� response to his 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
First LookIsraeli bombing in Gaza subsides amid push for U.S.-backed dealBombing in Gaza City has 鈥渟ignificantly subsided,鈥� a hospital official says. Israel鈥檚 army says it鈥檚 preparing for the first phase of a U.S. peace plan backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.聽Talks are underway for the release of hostages.
First LookTrump says Hamas ready for peace, urges Israel to halt bombing GazaReplying to President Donald Trump鈥檚 ultimatum to accept his plan for ending the war, Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects require consultations. Hamas did not say it would disarm, an Israeli demand.
As Gazans weigh Trump plan, what鈥檚 missing is a say in their futureLike other recent plans for the 鈥渄ay after鈥� war ends in Gaza, the Trump ceasefire plan was formulated without direct input from Gazans. As they react with both optimism and skepticism, a major concern is that they don鈥檛 give up on self-determination.
Netanyahu bends to Trump on Gaza, but disarming Hamas remains a hurdlePresident Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had accepted a U.S. plan for Gaza. But prospects for ending the war lean on Arab and Muslim states to deliver Hamas鈥� agreement to disarm. And a U.S. and Israeli threat of force hangs heavily.
In Gaza, military offensive and civilian chaos hinder food aidThe arrival of more food sparked hope in Gaza that famine might be avoided. But supplies are insufficient and distribution hard to organize.
In the land of couscous, pulled noodles from China create a stirZhao Jun opened his pulled noodle joint in Algiers to serve fellow Chinese migrant workers. Now more than half his clients are Algerian.
A year late, and their schools destroyed, Gaza鈥檚 students complete examsAfter a yearlong delay, students in Gaza have completed their high school graduation exams. But their futures remain circumscribed by war.聽
First LookUK, Australia, and Canada recognize a Palestinian stateThe move on Sunday prompted an angry response from Israel and reflects growing outrage at Israel鈥檚 conduct of the war in Gaza.
New Israeli West Bank settlements dim prospects of Palestinian stateIsrael has built settlements in the occupied West Bank for 50 years. It鈥檚 about to construct a Jerusalem suburb making a Palestinian state unfeasible.
What French-Saudi move at UN means for a future Palestinian stateThe French-Saudi initiative at the United Nations supporting an independent Palestine, while symbolically important, is not risk-free and is unlikely to lead soon to that long-sought goal. Yet it鈥檚 worth it, supporters say, to keep the discussion alive.
Amid Israel鈥檚 longest war, resentment grows over religious draft exemptionIn Israel, the shared burden of military service in 鈥渢he people鈥檚 army鈥� is a consensus value, and an exemption granted the ultra-Orthodox has long rankled. Amid the mounting costs of war in Gaza, moves to codify the exemption have fanned resentments.
Syria holds elections without a popular vote. Why Syrians are still hopeful.Syrian community leaders are choosing a parliament tasked with overhauling the country鈥檚 laws and setting a new constitution. If the process prioritizes technocratic expertise over parties and politics, Syrians hope it鈥檚 still a step toward a democracy.
In the Middle East, can old enemies make good neighbors?Israel and Syria are negotiating a security deal to bring peace to their border. The new Syrian government sees it as a path to international acceptance.
First LookIsrael steps up strikes on Gaza City. Residents have few options to flee.Israel has intensified airstrikes in Gaza City as part of an offensive to take over the city, which Israel claims is Hamas' last stronghold.
Israel ordered them to leave. Many in Gaza City say there is nowhere left to run.The Israeli military has ordered a total evacuation of Gaza City. But many lack the means to leave, or believe there is no safe place left to go.
