All Middle East
Why a US-Israel divide is widening over the war, and Gaza’s futureThe United States is exhorting Israel to do more to protect Palestinian citizens. There are signs Israel is listening. But countervailing political pressures are widening disagreement on a host of key issues.
Why Biden still seeks two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflictA two-state solution has long been seen as the way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; it has never borne fruit, but it remains indispensable.
In Israeli border town, rockets an audible reminder Hamas is unbeatenFor years the Israeli border town of Sderot has been the target of Hamas rockets. With the town largely emptied since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, and rockets still flying despite Israel’s massive offensive, achieving safety appears a long way off.
First LookMalala Yousafzai demands action against Taliban’s ‘gender apartheid’Malala Yousafzai – the youngest Nobel laureate – urged the world to take urgent action and recognize the “gender apartheid” against women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban. She also called for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Israel restricts wartime freedom of expression. At what cost?Israel’s crackdown on freedom of expression is being derided as a national loyalty campaign targeting its Palestinian citizens. The restrictions threaten efforts to foster peace through equal-opportunity employment.
World climate summit: Trendy vibes ... and an existential threatThe United Nations COP28 climate summit has become something of a Davos-style show. But the need is still for unglamorous negotiating, and that heart still beats, too.
First LookWarship attacked in Red Sea, says Pentagon. Houthis take credit.The Pentagon says an American warship and multiple commercial ships came under attack in the Red Sea in a possible escalation of maritime attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
First LookIsraeli shifts offensive to crowded southern Gaza, orders evacuationFollowing a weeklong truce, Israel is pounding targets in southern Gaza even as the U.S. urges it to protect civilians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will continue the war “until we achieve all its goals.”
War stranded Gaza workers in Israel. How it dashed their dreams.Palestinians from Gaza who were in Israel when war erupted are stranded in the West Bank. Their inability to be with loved ones has created a bond. “We were strangers before,” says one. “Now we are family.”
Amid Palestinian joy for freed prisoners lies concern it will be short-livedAmid prisoner exchanges related to the war in Gaza, some Palestinians in the West Bank, where frustration with government is high, are flying the green flag of Hamas.
Israel-Hamas: The harder hostage negotiations still to comeIsraelis and Palestinians will soon run out of comparatively easy things to do to extend the cease-fire. How they manage the next, harder phase will largely be determined by Israel, which faces pressure to resume fighting.
In Pictures: In Lebanon, the art of resistance enduresProtests in the streets of Beirut may feel like a distant memory. But the spirit of the 2019 “October Revolution” lives on in vibrant murals.
Family, homes, burials: In Gaza, a race to utilize lull in fightingNot knowing whether the four-day cease-fire would be extended, residents of Gaza, many displaced by war, scrambled to reclaim pieces of their lives – from family and homes to moments of tranquility on the beach.
On farm near Gaza, rescuing a crop today while thinking of tomorrowCity-dwelling Israeli professionals replaced foreign farmworkers who fled the area near Gaza after Hamas’ attack. Picking tomatoes, how do they see the future?
First LookHamas releases more hostages, seeking to extend fragile cease-fireThe cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is back on track as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, a 4-year-old girl. Hamas says it will seek to extend the deal by looking to release a larger number of hostages.
First LookHamas releases Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners after delayHamas has continued the release of a second group of hostages after hours of delays. The militant group stalled negotiations for hours. This is Day 2 of a cease-fire that has allowed critical humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
First LookFirst hostages released as Israel-Hamas truce beginsTwenty-four of the hostages held by Hamas have been released under a four-day ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel. The agreement also allows aid to enter Gaza.
Dramatic hostage deal doesn’t erase Israeli view: War only on pauseWednesday saw the first diplomatic breakthrough since the Israel-Hamas war began. Prisoners will be exchanged, and a four-day pause in fighting will allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. But in Israel, there’s no sense the end of the war is close.
Letter from Manama: Israel-Hamas war stumps the expertsA think tank gathered the cream of Middle East security and diplomatic society, but nobody could answer the questions raised by the Israel-Hamas war.
Reporter’s notebook: In Gaza, days of ingenuity, nights of doubtThe Monitor has Gaza coverage thanks to Ghada Abdulfattah, who sees the Israel-Hamas war not only as a reporter but also as a refugee.
