All Middle East
First LookIsraeli strike draws condemnation. US issues urgent call for Gaza cease-fire.Israel hit a U.N. site in Gaza where civilians were taking shelter. It said it was targeting Hamas fighters hidding inside. Some 40 were reported killed, including women and children.
Once a seaside getaway, Gaza 鈥榮afe zone鈥� now feels like a polluted prisonPalestinians seeking to survive the Israel-Hamas war have spent eight months looking for safety. Now displaced Gazans describe聽 overcrowded and filthy Al-Mawasi聽鈥� once a dream vacation destination聽鈥� in nightmarish terms.
Sidelined in Gaza war, Hezbollah fighters yearn for victory over IsraelWhat does Lebanon鈥檚 Hezbollah want? Against the religion-infused backdrop of a commander鈥檚 funeral, fighters from the Shiite militia embrace martyrdom and speak of the high price they and their families are willing to pay to defeat Israel.
Amid isolation over Gaza, Israelis grapple with 鈥榖ecoming outcasts鈥�Both sides in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza are seeking international empathy. In Israel, a growing sense of global isolation is fueling both support for the hard-line government and a feeling of abandonment.
To avoid war, Israel and Hezbollah shift their red lines. But war heats up.Old adversaries Israel and Hezbollah know each other well, and what triggers the other. Since Hamas鈥� attack on Israel, the two sides have sought to avoid a full-scale war even as they appear to move closer to it.
West Bank village, proudly self-reliant, now faces wartime hostilityLong before the war in Gaza erupted, Monitor reporters covering the West Bank found a remarkable story of self-sufficiency in Farkha, a village frustrated by Palestinian governance. But the war has brought new threats, so our reporters returned.
ICC prosecutor angers Israel, Hamas, but will that impact the war?The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has seen horrors on both sides. An attempt by the International Criminal Court鈥檚 prosecutor to hold leaders accountable has elicited outrage and bluster聽鈥� but how much reflection remains to be seen.
First LookCostly floating Gaza aid pier close to failure, UN saysThe U.S. $320 million pier off the coast of Gaza is poised to fail unless Israel can secure food shipments from looters, says the U.N. World Food Program. Recent aid truck convoys聽were stripped of all their goods before they could reach a warehouse in central Gaza.
Did Israeli leaders undermine military in Gaza? A rift becomes public.Since last fall, the United States, having learned its own lessons, has urged Israel to envision a political endgame for the military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. The government鈥檚 continued refusal to do so is creating a widening rift with the military.
First LookIsrael cites new media law, seizes AP equipment, bars reporting from GazaIsraeli officials have seized the Associated Press鈥檚 equipment, banning the wire service from reporting in Southern Israel. They allege that the AP has contributed to coverage by Al Jazeera, the Qatari state-owned news outlet.
What unpopular president鈥檚 death means for continuity vs. change in IranIn the Iranian leadership鈥檚 conduct of internal elections and foreign relations, the primary focus has been the continuity of the Islamic Republic. President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash, embodied that continuity.
First LookChief prosecutor of international court seeks warrants for Israel and Hamas leadersThe chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court has called for the arrests of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas chief leader Yehia聽Sinwar as war fatalities continue to rise. Neither party accepts blame.
First LookCritical aid enters Gaza via U.S. pier, more land routes still neededTrucks carrying badly needed aid for the Gaza Strip have rolled across a newly built U.S. pier. Friday鈥檚 shipment is the first in an operation that American military officials anticipate could scale up to 150 truckloads a day.
Gaza war: A look at the unlikely 鈥榓llies鈥� who gain from keeping it goingIn Gaza, Israel鈥檚 Netanyahu and Hamas鈥� Sinwar both face political considerations as they weigh proposals for a cease-fire and the exchange of prisoners and hostages.聽
For West Bank, an economy under siege is a Gaza 鈥榳ar dividend鈥�Palestinians in the West Bank have not been untouched by the war in Gaza. Now, with jobs in Israel lost and public sector wages unpaid, the weight of the conflict is dragging down the economy, too.
In Gaza and Israel, an exhausting cycle of hope and hopelessnessIsraeli hostages鈥� families and Palestinians in Gaza are on opposite sides of the war yet on the same emotional roller coaster that taxes their resilience. To maintain hope, some cite their common humanity.
Strike, counterstrike: What Israel just learned about Iran鈥檚 red linesIn war, outdated assessments and untested assumptions about one鈥檚 adversary can lead to hazardous miscalculations.聽
First LookIsrael orders more evacuations in Rafah and strikes northern GazaIsrael prepared to expand its military operation in defiance of growing pressure from close ally the United States, which on Friday said there was 鈥渞easonable鈥� evidence Israel had breached international law protecting civilians.
Historic Israeli desire to 鈥榞o it alone鈥� is tested by Gaza and IranIsrael is facing historic challenges over its instinct to act alone in war. One comes from a rift with its U.S. ally over Gaza. Another comes from the demonstrated benefits of regional cooperation and integration.
First LookAid nears Gaza pier as residents brace for looming Rafah invasionThe first aid shipment is on its way to the newly built floating platform off of Gaza. For Gazans facing famine and a potential invasion of Rafah, the relief can鈥檛 come soon enough.聽