All Middle East
First LookIn Syria, deadly attacks on Assad鈥檚 Alawites are blow to new leadersThe death toll from two days of clashes between security forces and loyalists of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and revenge killings that followed has risen to more than 600, a war monitoring group said Saturday. Local residents said gunmen shot Alawites, the majority of them men, in the streets or at the gates of their homes.
As Syrians struggle to rebuild, old US sanctions are a daunting hurdleEven as former anti-Assad rebels adjust to governing, private Syrians are trying to rebuild homes and communities shattered by civil war. Standing in their way are severe U.S. sanctions blocking equipment and investment.
Amid Gaza ceasefire鈥檚 uncertainty, Palestinians focus on survivalThe first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire allowed Palestinians to return to communities in Gaza鈥檚 devastated north. But as they try to pick up the pieces of their lives, the peace framework is shaking.
Near Gaza, Israeli communities ravaged on Oct. 7 refocus on rebirthThe kibbutzim and other Israeli communities near Gaza still bear the marks of Oct. 7. But as hostages return home, they are shifting toward rebirth.
In Yemen, activists seek to restore rubble-strewn sanctuary for migrating birdsFor centuries, Yemen鈥檚 coastal wetlands played host to each year to flocks of migrating birds. But civil war has left the ecosystem in dire straits.
For Syria鈥檚 religious minorities, new freedoms, yet lingering insecurityIt has been a pressing question regarding Syria鈥檚 new rulers. How would the Islamist group treat religious freedom in a diverse country? For Syria鈥檚 religious minorities, the answer has been encouraging, but incomplete.
What鈥檚 next for the Gaza ceasefire? Netanyahu pressed from all sides.Benjamin Netanyahu is in a bind over Gaza. His hard-right allies want to resume the war. An emotional Israeli public wants more hostages released. The Trump administration wants the ceasefire with Hamas to proceed.
Why many Israelis embrace a Trump plan for Gaza once seen as tabooPresident Donald Trump鈥檚 plan to take over Gaza and expel its residents was received in an Israel exhausted by conflict and lacking a 鈥渄ay after鈥� plan of its own.聽
Jordan in a bind: What to offer Trump instead of taking in Gaza refugees?Jordanian King Abdullah鈥檚 meeting with Donald Trump Tuesday was one of the most consequential of his 25-year reign. His mission: to get the U.S. president to walk back his plan to relocate Gaza鈥檚 population to Jordan and Egypt.
鈥楾here is a lot of fear.鈥� In West Bank, Palestinians decry Israel鈥檚 Gaza tactics.As Israel presses ahead with a massive military operation targeting militants in the West Bank, it鈥檚 relying on tactics used in the war in Gaza. The result for Palestinians is a rising level of destruction and displacement.
First LookLebanon's president forms new government as southern ceasefire holdsLebanon's first government in two years takes office as it rebuilds its war-torn south. The country also seeks to maintain security after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in November.
How Trump鈥檚 proposed plan for Gaza has united an outraged Arab worldWhatever becomes of President Trump鈥檚 proposal to take over Gaza and resettle the Palestinians there, the Arab world is not on board. Many consider the plan a form of what the U.N. terms 鈥渆thnic cleansing.鈥� Some say it could lead to war.
Trump鈥檚 plan for Gaza ridiculed as unserious. So why did he float it?While President Trump has ridiculed past U.S. military deployments and nation-building efforts, he has consistently been drawn to Mideast diplomacy. But his proposal to 鈥渙wn鈥� and develop the Gaza Strip and displace its population has many questioning how serious he is.
As Palestinian prisoners return home, there is joy, but sorrow, tooJoyful family reunions that the ceasefire has enabled in Israel are being echoed in the West Bank and Gaza. But few freed Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were jailed for decades, knew much of the Gaza war, or its staggering costs.
Cover StoryAfter Assad鈥檚 fall, Syrians search for lost loved ones 鈥� and a path forwardAfter the fall of the Assad regime, Syrians grasp for answers and a path to restoration聽under new president聽Ahmed al-Sharaa.
How Gaza hostage-release drama works for both Hamas and NetanyahuThe stage-managed spectacle of Israeli hostages being released in Gaza serves political interests on both sides. Hamas鈥� assertions that it is still in power bolster the argument that Prime Minister Netanyahu still has a job to do.
Who will rule Gaza, if not Hamas? Unanswered question dogs ceasefire.Israel has failed to eliminate Hamas, a key goal of its war in Gaza, and the militant group has reasserted its rule in Gaza. Can that situation last?
First LookIsrael stops return of thousands to northern Gaza over ceasefire disputeAccusing Hamas of violating the terms of a fragile ceasefire, Israel has prevented thousands of Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza.
鈥楲ike 10 earthquakes鈥�: Palestinians return home to Gaza devastationPalestinian residents of Gaza, the vast majority of them homeless, celebrated when the Israel-Hamas ceasefire was announced. But as they return home, the destruction they are finding is almost too much to comprehend.
Israelis rejoice at hostages鈥� release, yet worry a sacred vow was brokenAs Israelis celebrate the return of hostages held in Gaza, they are also anguished over the long time it took to bring them home. A nagging question for many is whether a social contract of mutual responsibility has been broken.