All Middle East
Why populist president retains support amid Tunisia鈥檚 enduring povertyPolitical analysts love to talk about voters鈥� pocketbooks. In theory, leaders would get credit for policy successes and blame for failures. But populists鈥� use of xenophobia and conspiracy theories can turn that idea on its head.
Around the globe, the politics of the war in Gaza is localThe war in Gaza is reverberating in different ways around the world, from India and Indonesia to the U.S. and Germany.
First LookMissile attacks across Middle East raise Gaza escalation risksIran said five of its Revolutionary Guards were killed in a missile strike in聽Damascus聽which it blamed on Israel. Other missile attacks Saturday occurred in聽Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.
In escalating war zone, Druze village has a message: Hope and peaceIn Beit Jann, an Israeli Druze village with views of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, the outlook is one of determined optimism. Even as the region is gripped by rising violence, villagers speak of peaceful coexistence.
First LookPakistan and Iran blame mineral-rich warlords for missile strikesTensions flared this week after Iran and Pakistan exchanged missiles, killing a total of nine people. Both nations have taken steps to turn down the dial. Pakistan expressed a readiness to work with Iran 鈥渂ased on spirit of mutual trust and cooperation.鈥�
Widening Middle East war: Have Iran鈥檚 calculations changed?As the Israel-Hamas war spreads around the wider region, looping in U.S. forces, Yemen鈥檚 Houthis, and now Pakistan, a connecting thread runs through Tehran. But are the actions of its 鈥淎xis of Resistance鈥� helping or harming Iran?
Israel-Hamas war: What鈥檚 left of the pro-peace camps?For decades, Israelis and Palestinians聽鈥� officials and regular folk 鈥� have convened to talk about, and advocate for, coexistence and peace. Amid the horrors of Oct. 7 and the war in Gaza, is that still possible?
First LookSeeds of resistance: Why watermelon symbolizes Palestinian solidarityWatermelon slices have grown to signify resistance to Israeli censorship. The fruit is now seeing an emoji-borne renaissance, marking new efforts to circumvent social media suppression and convey Palestinian support.
Mixing hope and skepticism, Palestinians watch Hague genocide hearingsMany Palestinians in the West Bank say the case brought by South Africa against Israel could prompt judges to order a cease-fire in Gaza, offering a rare glimmer of hope for relief amid a bleak war.
First LookHouthi militants vow revenge after US-British airstrikeThe Houthis, an Iranian-backed proxy group, vows revenge after a US-British airstrike left five dead and six wounded in a military attack. Houthi troops have been targeting US-Israeli commercial shipping in response to the war in Gaza.
First LookTaliban鈥檚 dress-code crackdown targets Afghan women, UN warnsThe UN has said they are 鈥渄eeply concerned鈥� over the detention and abuse of Afghan women not wearing the hijab. Their statement is the first official confirmation of the Taliban鈥檚 crackdown on dress codes for women since the Taliban took power in 2021.聽
鈥楾ime for us to leave鈥�: Gaza reporter, again, joins thousands fleeingThe Monitor鈥檚 reporter in Gaza has been living the Israel-Hamas war. Driven by basic human needs聽鈥� safety above all as fighting neared 鈥� her family looked urgently for a truck and a route south.
Lives on hold, economy in check: Gaza war tests Israel鈥檚 staminaWar brings clear costs. Lives lost, homes destroyed. As Israel girds for a long war in Gaza, and tensions rise in Lebanon, it is trying to balance, too, the human and economic costs of mass mobilization.
First LookHezbollah fires rockets at Israel in response to Hamas leader鈥檚 killingThe cross-border escalation comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken starts his fourth Mideast trip in three months in hopes of preventing the Israel-Hamas war from turning into a regional confrontation.
Gaza war: Why Houthis pose a stubborn challenge to US in Red SeaFrom Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen, attacks by the Iran-led 鈥淎xis of Resistance鈥� have raised concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate into a regional conflict. In the Red Sea, a U.S. bid to secure shipping lanes faces a determined adversary.
First LookHezbollah vows 鈥榩unishment鈥� after Hamas leader is killed in BeirutThe killing of Hamas鈥� No. 2 leader Saleh al-Arouri in an apparent Israeli airstrike raised fears of retaliation from the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, whose leader Hassan Nasrallah said 鈥渢his dangerous crime鈥� will not go 鈥渨ithout response.鈥�
In wartime Gaza, a complicating burden: Communication blackoutsCommunications are a basic societal need, especially in times of stress. In wartime Gaza, where phone and internet service is often cut, journalists say they have to balance their professional duties with helping people to cope.
First LookGround offensive intensifies: Israeli strikes Gaza's refugee campsThe Israeli military broadens its ground offensive in Gaza, targeting densely populated urban refugee camps, including Nuseirat, Maghazi, and Bureij. These camps house Palestinians displaced during the 1948 war. Shelling and airstrikes are reported.
First LookSilent night? On Christmas Eve, Bethlehem resembles a ghost town.Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem have all been muffled by the Israel-Hamas war. The once-busy biblical city in the West Bank misses its festive traditions as both residents and visitors search for the holiday spirit.
A plan for Gaza鈥檚 future is taking shape. Obstacles loom.The trauma of war is catalyzing a diplomatic push for a 鈥渄ay-after鈥� plan for Gaza. It faces challenges. How they are met may be the difference between reconstruction and peace, and a security vacuum and chaos.