All Middle East
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.
FocusWhy a Palestinian plan to revive Gaza and democracy faces doubt and distrustWhether institutions can reform themselves is being tested in the midst of war. The Palestinian Authority is devising a plan to democratize and provide for Gaza鈥檚 future, but the PA is deeply distrusted by the Palestinian people.
鈥榃aiting to see if I will survive鈥�: A Gaza reporter caught in the war she鈥檚 coveringThe Monitor鈥檚 Gaza correspondent writes from her heart of the pain, fear, and indignity that so much death and destruction has imposed on her life.
First LookIsraeli strike on Gaza school used as shelter kills at least 80, Palestinian officials sayThe strike came as U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators renewed their push for Israel and Hamas to achieve a cease-fire agreement. The Israeli military says it hit a Hamas command center inside the compound. A聽top Hamas official denied there were militants in the school.
First LookBoxer Imane Khelif wins Olympic gold after facing gender misconceptionsImane Khelif was cheered to victory by crowds chanting her name in Paris. Her gold medal is Algeria鈥檚 first in women鈥檚 boxing.聽
Iran-Israel strife leaves Palestinians feeling in the middle, yet sidelinedWith the world preoccupied with the Iran-Israel confrontation, Palestinians say their urgent needs amid a brutal war are in danger of being forgotten, and that they stand to be punished regardless.
Amid tensions, Israelis follow a war routine: Live life, wait for what comesIsraelis are preparing 鈥� mentally and practically 鈥� for the most serious multifront conflict in the Middle East in decades following the killings of top Hezbollah and Hamas officials last week.
First LookBoxer Imane Khelif clinches medal amid furor fueled by gender misconceptionsThe Algerian boxer鈥檚 assurance of at least bronze comes following days of sharp scrutiny and online abuse as unsubstantiated rumors about her gender have exploded into a larger clash about identity in sports.
Hamas鈥� lead negotiator is dead. How can Gaza cease-fire talks continue?The search for a Gaza cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas has been long and difficult, with only fleeting glimmers of hope. Now a pivotal figure has been assassinated, and trust has been shattered.
Killing of Israel鈥檚 foes in Beirut and Tehran brings shaken region to the edgeEver since the Hamas-Israel war erupted last October, and was joined swiftly by Iran鈥檚 regional allies, the world has feared a larger conflict in the Middle East.聽
First LookStrike on Israeli Golan kills at least 11 children, risking a broader warHezbollah quickly denied any role in the attack, which Israel blamed on the militant group. The strike raises fears of war between the foes, who have been exchanging fire since the start of the Gaza invasion.
First LookPalestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas try again 鈥� in Beijing 鈥� to build a coalition governmentPalestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have vowed to form a government together. Previous attempts have failed due to power struggles between the factions and Western countries鈥� refusal to accept a Palestinian government that does not recognize Israel.
In Egypt, Gazans sought to leave the war. But it鈥檚 not far behind.As the Gaza war grinds on, life goes on in next-door Egypt. Some Palestinians managed to escape the physical conflict by crossing the border, but the war, its worries, and survivor鈥檚 guilt are ever present.
