All Middle East
- First LookAmerican among 6 more dead hostages; in grief and anger, Israelis fill streets
The 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’s body came home. ‘Our country did not save him,’ family says.
Every Saturday night, the families of hostages held in Gaza demand that Israel secure their loved ones’ release. Last week six bodies were recovered, fueling the families’ sense of abandonment.
- First LookIsrael and Hezbollah exchange heavy fire, then back off, as Egypt hosts Gaza talks
Israel 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’s conduct of the war in Gaza threatens its ties to the US
There is no doubting Washington’s commitment to Israel’s 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 distrust
Whether 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’s future, but the PA is deeply distrusted by the Palestinian people.
- ‘Waiting to see if I will survive’: A Gaza reporter caught in the war she’s covering
The Monitor’s 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 say
The 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 top Hamas official denied there were militants in the school.
- First LookBoxer Imane Khelif wins Olympic gold after facing gender misconceptions
Imane Khelif was cheered to victory by crowds chanting her name in Paris. Her gold medal is Algeria’s first in women’s boxing.
- Iran-Israel strife leaves Palestinians feeling in the middle, yet sidelined
With 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 comes
Israelis are preparing – mentally and practically – 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 misconceptions
The Algerian boxer’s 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’ 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’s foes in Beirut and Tehran brings shaken region to the edge
Ever since the Hamas-Israel war erupted last October, and was joined swiftly by Iran’s regional allies, the world has feared a larger conflict in the Middle East.
- First LookStrike on Israeli Golan kills at least 11 children, risking a broader war
Hezbollah 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 – in Beijing – to build a coalition government
Palestinian 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’ refusal to accept a Palestinian government that does not recognize Israel.
- In Egypt, Gazans sought to leave the war. But it’s 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’s guilt are ever present.
- Hamas believes it has won. Why it now wants to unburden itself of Gaza.
Ever since Hamas triggered a calamitous war in Gaza last October, questions have been asked: What were its aims? How could it win? What was it thinking? Today it sees victory at hand, and its stated ambitions are soaring.
- How a reformist connected with Iranians and inspired enough to vote
The one reformist candidate allowed to stand for president in Iran faced severe hurdles, not least of which was a public largely unwilling to confer legitimacy on the regime by voting. But his everyman persona and a message of improving lives resonated.
- First LookIsraelis mark 9 months of Gaza war with protests demanding hostages deal
The “Day of Disruption” started at 6:29 a.m., the same time Hamas fired the first rockets at Israel in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war. Protesters blocked main roads and demonstrated outside of the homes of government ministers.
- First LookVowing outreach to the West, an Iranian reformist is elected president
Supporters of longtime lawmaker Masoud Pezeshkian, a multilingual heart surgeon, entered the streets of Tehran and other cities early Saturday to celebrate as his lead grew over a hard-line former nuclear negotiator. Iran’s Interior Ministry said 30 million people voted.