All Middle East
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.
After failed Israeli Hamas assassination, are Gaza peace talks possible?Israel鈥檚 failed attempt to kill its top Hamas negotiating partner in Qatar backfired聽鈥� and angered Washington. What did officials think it would achieve?
Why some Israeli journalists only now are turning a lens on Gaza devastationThroughout the war in Gaza, Israel鈥檚 media has focused on Israelis鈥� hardships on and since Oct. 7. It was what people wanted. Now, some journalists are admitting that coverage of Gazans as people has been irresponsibly minimal, distorting reality.
First LookIsraeli army tells Gaza residents to flee as it targets more high-rise buildingsAid groups warn that a large-scale evacuation would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza City, which is suffering from famine. Most families have already been displaced several times over the course of the Israel-Hamas war, and say they have nowhere left to go.聽
Why a weakened Hezbollah still poses a challenge to Lebanon鈥檚 governmentFor decades, Iran鈥檚 powerful ally Hezbollah limited Beirut鈥檚 power. Israel severely weakened the Shiite militia, yet as a new Lebanese government seeks to assert its authority, an easy compromise seems unlikely.
