All Middle East
Israel mulls Lebanon invasion. Hezbollah 鈥榗oup de gr芒ce鈥� or quagmire?Israel has sown disarray in the ranks of the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah by killing its leaders. But how far will the Jewish state press its advantage?
First LookIsrael kills Hezbollah鈥檚 leader. Iranian lawmakers demand 鈥榮trong鈥� response.Hassan Nasrallah led Lebanon鈥檚 militant Hezbollah group for more than three decades, transforming it into an influential political force and聽Iranian proxy. His killing marks a major escalation in the聽Mideast.
What do Jewish and Palestinian Israelis have in common? Hope.A group uniting Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel is enjoying unexpected success with its advocacy of a shared home.聽
Israel takes its conflict with Hezbollah to the brink of warIsrael鈥檚 unusually heavy bombardment of Hezbollah positions in Lebanon puts militia leader Hassan Nasrallah in an awkward spot.
First LookIsraeli strike on Beirut apartment kills a Hezbollah leader wanted by the USIsrael's military says a senior Hezbollah leader was among those killed in an airstrike on a Beirut apartment block Friday, the deadliest strike on聽Lebanon's capital since the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.
First LookHezbollah and Israel exchange hundreds of missiles in worst conflict since 2006 warIsrael hit a Beirut suburb with an airstrike Sept. 20, not long after Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets. This follows Israel striking hundreds of Hezbollah rocket launchers on Sept. 19, and a mass bombing attack against Hezbollah this week.
What a Tunisian exodus says about the future of global migrationIn an age of global migration, Tunisia offers a window into key stressors driving migrants from their homes.
What the pager attack in Lebanon means for Israel-Hezbollah conflictIn Lebanon, exploding pagers and booby-trapped walkie-talkies 鈥� believed to be set off by Israel 鈥� have rattled Hezbollah and captured the world鈥檚 attention. What do they portend?
First LookHezbollah security breach: Pagers explode across Lebanon and SyriaIn the largest security breach since October 2023, handheld Hezbollah聽pagers exploded across Lebanon and Syria, wounding more than 2,750 people on Sept. 17. Explosions lasted for about an hour after detonation.
Moscow gets Iranian missiles: Might that actually help Kyiv?Iran鈥檚 dispatch of missiles to Russia could backfire if the shipment provokes Washington into letting Ukraine aim U.S.-made missiles deep into Russia.
Jewish extremists harm Israel, official warns. Are Israelis listening?Can reason overcome emotion during a national emergency? Warnings from Israel鈥檚 security and judicial establishments that Jewish extremists are causing the country great harm are struggling to be heard amid a barrage of heartbreaking news.
First LookIsrael strikes Gaza humanitarian area as Palestinians struggle to find true safe zoneFirst responders dug through sand and rubble with garden tools and bare hands early on Sept. 10. Palestinian officials say the blast killed 19 and wounded 60, while Israel disputes the toll.聽
First LookIn a surprise twist, Algeria鈥檚 president-elect disputes his own election victory. Why?President Abdelmadjid Tebboune jointly issued a statement alongside his two main opponents criticizing the country鈥檚 election chairman. His victory, totaling聽94.7% of the vote, contradicted initial turnout figures and local tallies.
First LookShould pre-teen girls be allowed to wed? Iraqi women say no.Iraqi women and activists are protesting lawmakers who propose giving religious authorities more power over family law. The changes could allow conservative clerics to approve marriages of girls as young as 9.
鈥業f I would speak, I would start crying鈥�: Our reporters grapple with loss in Gaza warWar correspondents are usually observers to a conflict, even when on the front lines. But in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the Monitor鈥檚 writers are inescapably involved.- Netanyahu pushes back over Gaza and hostages: 鈥楴o one will preach to me鈥�Protests over stalled cease-fire talks, amplified by U.S. President Joe Biden, call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make peace. The Israeli leader is defiant.聽
First LookAmerican among 6 more dead hostages; in grief and anger, Israelis fill streetsThe body of Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among those found in a tunnel under the Gaza city of Rafah, half a mile from where another hostage was rescued alive last week. A general strike was called for Monday in Israel to demand a cease-fire.
Only the hostage鈥檚 body came home. 鈥極ur country did not save him,鈥� family says.Every Saturday night, the families of hostages held in Gaza demand that Israel secure their loved ones鈥� release. Last week six bodies were recovered, fueling the families鈥� sense of abandonment.
First LookIsrael and Hezbollah exchange heavy fire, then back off, as Egypt hosts Gaza talksIsrael launched what it called a preemptive strike in southern Lebanon to avert a large rocket and missile attack. Hezbollah said it fired hundreds of rockets and drones to avenge the killing of a top commander. Both signaled no immediate further escalation.
Israel鈥檚 conduct of the war in Gaza threatens its ties to the USThere is no doubting Washington鈥檚 commitment to Israel鈥檚 security. But the war in Gaza has sharpened political tensions between the two partners.
