All Middle East
- 4 ATMs, 2 million people: Cash crunch compounds Gaza’s wartime woes
Food and transportation are expensive; shelter and humanitarian aid are scarce. For Palestinians trying to survive in wartime Gaza, cash is a precious commodity, and worth going to great lengths to find.
- Many Israelis are resigned to war with Hezbollah. Are they prepared?
Many factors fuel resilience in time of war: hope, confidence, unity, trust in government. As Israelis endure their longest-ever war, against Hamas in Gaza, the threat of a far more arduous conflict looms with Lebanon’s powerful Hezbollah.
- First LookA first look inside the US $230 million pier delivering aid to the Gaza coast
The U.S. military has reopened the $230 million pier on the Gaza coast for humanitarian aid delivery amid conflict. For the first time, international media was allowed to watch its daily operations.
- First LookIsrael’s ultra-orthodox men have not had to serve in the army, until now
Ultra-orthodox men will now be drafted into the Israeli army, the high court ordered on June 25. With Israelis divided over the decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition may collapse.
- In Tunisia, a Sufi shrine with an exuberant feminist vibe
It is said that Sayyida Manoubia, a Sufi saint, refused to marry, concerned it would interfere with her charity and pursuit of heavenly truths. Which is why, perhaps oddly, her shrine is now a must-stop for Tunisian brides.
- First LookAmid economic turmoil, Iranians pin hopes on ‘Hamster Kombat’ app
The rise of the “Hamster Kombat” crypto app in Iran underscores economic desperation and widespread hope for relief amid the presidential election. Iran’s economy suffers from Western sanctions, high inflation, and few jobs.
- How Lebanese escape Hezbollah-Israel fight, a war beyond their control
Nonbelligerents in war often pay a very high price in the violent disruption of their lives. In Lebanon, the children, perhaps, can be entertained and distracted in the moment, but adults are all too aware of the value of what has been lost.
- When does self-defense cross a line? Outcry over Israel in Gaza mounts.
Debate grows about what level of civilian casualties in Gaza is justifiable in international law, raising fundamental ethical and political questions.
- Why Iranian hard-liners are allowing a reformist candidate for president
Iran’s leadership sees every election as a referendum on its legitimacy. But as hard-liners have sought to solidify their control over the levers of power, political apathy has set in, and voter turnout has fallen.
- ‘This is not our war.’ Lebanese Christians caught between Hezbollah and Israel.
It’s a recurring theme in warfare: the plight of noncombatant civilians caught in the crossfire. In southern Lebanon, Christian villagers say Hezbollah’s tactics make them vulnerable to destructive Israeli salvos.
- Why Israeli relief over hostages’ rescue from Gaza was short-lived
Pure joy swept Israel Saturday after the electrifying news that four hostages had been brought home to safety from Gaza. But within hours, the unresolved questions raised by the war against Hamas had reasserted themselves.
- 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 ‘safe zone’ now feels like a polluted prison
Palestinians seeking to survive the Israel-Hamas war have spent eight months looking for safety. Now displaced Gazans describe overcrowded and filthy Al-Mawasi – once a dream vacation destination – in nightmarish terms.
- Sidelined in Gaza war, Hezbollah fighters yearn for victory over Israel
What does Lebanon’s Hezbollah want? Against the religion-infused backdrop of a commander’s 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 ‘becoming outcasts’
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’ 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 hostility
Long 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’s prosecutor to hold leaders accountable has elicited outrage and bluster – but how much reflection remains to be seen.
- First LookCostly floating Gaza aid pier close to failure, UN says
The 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 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’s continued refusal to do so is creating a widening rift with the military.